A citizen was walking around downtown Houston, Texas when something stopped them in their
tracks. There on the road was a police officer lying face down with his horse. However, this
passer-by had no idea just how heart-breaking their story was.
Law enforcement agencies have used horses for hundreds of years. And while mounted patrol
units are one of the police departments oldest tools. They're still also one of the most
effective. That's because officers on horseback have a unique advantage to their peers.
On a horse, Cops have extra height, enabling them to see further than if they were on foot.
This is particularly handy in crowded areas where it's also easy for members of the public
to see officers. Furthermore, cops can use horses to patrol places where, police cars
wouldn't be suitable like parks and nature reserves.
However, in the 20th century police forces in the U S began to disband their mounted
units. “Look at the situations they're used for,” criminologists Michael Roth explained
to KPCC in 2014. “How often do you have riots? If you're going to keep a mounted police
units for riots, you might use them once a year.”
But in 1984, Houston police department bucked this trend and re-established their mounted
patrol unit. According to the department's website, one mounted officer is as effective
as around 10 on the ground. As a result, they value their horses and the cops who rode them.
In turn, mounted officers and their horses have a strong bond. That's because they have
to rely on each other, often in the most heated situations. As a result, some say the relationship
is akin to that which cops in the canine unit have with their dogs.
Talking to today in 2015, Keith Smith spokesman for the Houston police department revealed
“you undergo a lot of training as a mounted police officer. You work with those horses
on a daily basis. Those horses undergo a lot of training before they're put on the street,
so there would be a bond. Those horses are those officer’s partners”.
One person who perfectly understood this bond with officer D. Herrera John. He and his six-year-old
horse, Charlotte, where the closest of colleagues. Together, they managed to keep the streets
of Houston safe from crime. Though relatively young, Charlotte had a wealth
of experience as a police horse. In fact, she came into law enforcement so early that
no one had even written her before. And by 2015, she had been working with the mounted
patrol unit for four years. However, despite her experience, things could
still spook Charlotte. Which is exactly what happened one day in December of that year.
She and Herrera John had been patrolling Downtown Houston when the horse heard a noise.
The noise panicked Charlotte causing her to act erratically. “The horse got spooked
by something from behind”, police spokesman Smith informed people in 2015. “And when
she spun around, she actually struck a cement truck.”
In the mayhem, Charlotte through Herrera John from her back. Consequently, he was rushed
to the hospital as a precaution so that he could get checked out. Thankfully! though
doctors later confirmed that he had no major injuries.
But sadly, the same cannot be said for Charlotte. In the accident the horse had sustained a
broken leg. As a result, veterinary staff took the hard decision to put the brave animal
to rest at the accident scene. In Herrera John’s absence, his partner decided
he would have to step up to the plate. So, officer Ronald Curry laid down on his front
beside the horse. From there, he tried to comfort the animal by covering her face as
she took her dying breaths. The cop’s active compassion touched one
on Looker so much, as they decided to photograph the sad scene. Later, the stranger shared
the haunting image with the animal justice league. Moreover, the Houston based animal
rescue consequently decided to share the picture with its nearly 9,000 Facebook followers.
“We admire the heart and strength of this officer”, the post read, “when you lose
an animal, to be with them during their last breath is a heart breaking and tough thing
to do”. “Our hearts go out to both officers and the Houston police department family RIP
Charlotte. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it didn't take long
for the tear-jerking image to go viral. And it has since attracted an impressive 28,000
reactions. Furthermore, officer Curry found himself the subject of much praise.
“Thank you, officer for loving and staying with your partner”. One comment. “Our
police officers are incredibly honourable people Always.” Meanwhile, another user
added “this story brought me to tears for the horse and for his writer, the officer's
attempt at comforting, his fallen companion. Maybe no, there's a heartfelt caring in this
world of troubles.” If you liked the video, please give it a thumbs-up
and consider sharing it with your friends and family. Thanks again. And we'll see you
in the next.