ATLANTA – Police are investigating the death of a horse that was found on a sidewalk in downtown Atlanta.
What we know:
The horse, named Flash, reportedly suffered some sort of medical emergency and collapsed on the sidewalk in front of a bank located at 92 Peachtree Street NW, according to police. The Fulton County Tax Commissioner’s Office and other government buildings are right across the street.
Atlanta police said they have spoken to the owner, who is cooperating with the investigation.
WARNING: The images included in this article may be disturbing to some audiences. They have been blurred due to their sensitive nature.
According to the original statement released by police, they were called about the horse at 12:27 a.m. on Sunday. The horse was still on the ground as of 11:15 a.m. when FOX 5 Atlanta cameras were in the area. Police said they were working alongside the fire department and Fulton County Animal Services to remove the horse in a “safe and respectful” way.
A group of businesses in the area said their surveillance footage would be under review to comply with the Department of Agriculture.
The public is urged to avoid the area for the time being.
What we don’t know:
The actual cause of death of the horse is unknown.
It’s not clear whether the owner, who has not been publicly identified, will face any charges.
It’s also not clear what the horse was doing downtown. Videos circulated over the weekend showing multiple people riding horses through the streets of Atlanta during 404 Day celebrations. However, the police have not confirmed that was the case here.
The Source: The information reported in this story was obtained through statements released by the Atlanta Police Department via their website and social media, as well as FOX 5 Atlanta interviews with a witness in the area, as well as the owner of the horse. That individual did not wish to speak on camera.
