Jefferson police shoot horse
Spent 15 hours trying to capture animal
Jefferson police officers shot a horse on March 8 after trying for 15 hours to capture the animal. The decision was made to shoot the horse because it was getting in traffic and officers were concerned about the safety of motorists, according to a report on the incident.
The horse was first spotted at 6 p.m. on March 7 near Hwy. 129 at I-85. It was “darting out into traffic,” according to the incident report.
Several officers and others called to the scene tried to rope the horse, but were unsuccessful. The department of agriculture was then called.
“Since the horse was endangering the lives of the citizens of Jefferson by running out in to traffic on Hwy. 129 and with the risk of the horse getting loose on I-85 and possibly causing a traffic accident that could result in a motorist losing their life, he (the department of agriculture representative), stated that we could put the horse down,” the incident report reads.
Attempts were made to contact local veterinarians for the use of a tranquilizer gun, but no one was available. Several attempts were also made to contact the owner, but that was also unsuccessful.
On March 9, a Hickory Hills Drive woman reported a missing horse. An officer told her that the horse had been shot after 15 hours of trying to catch it.
The woman said she was the third owner of the horse “because no one could keep the horse contained in a fence.”
