A California mother reportedly filed suit against the police officers who stormed her property and took her daughter’s pet goat so that a state legislator could cook it at a community BBQ.
According to The Sacramento Bee, Jessica long purchased her daughter, then nine years old, a goat named Cedar in April last year. According to the complaint, Long had planned to sell Cedar for meat and put the animal into the livestock auction at the Shasta District Fair. There was supposedly a “no exceptions” policy at the fair.
According to the article, Long reportedly had a change of heart just before the auction began and sought to withdraw Cedar from the bidding.
The Sacramento Bee reports that state senator Brian Dahle paid $902 for Cedar. Long broke the rules and took the goat that night to make her distraught daughter happy.
The 7-month-old goat named Cedar was thrust into the spotlight when a federal civil rights complaint was filed against the Shasta County sheriff’s department, the Shasta District Fair, and others for their alleged roles in the goat’s apparent killing.
Long said that she had gotten in touch with Dahle, who was OK with her rescuing the goat.
According to The Sacramento Bee, Shasta District Fair CEO Melanie Silva responded via email that making an exception for Long would signal the students that they do not have to adhere to the regulations.
A livestock manager from the fair allegedly texted Long and warned of “severe repercussions” if the goat wasn’t returned, making matters much worse for the animal.
Shasta County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Jeremy Ashbee reportedly applied for a search warrant to recover Cedar. The court authorized using “breaching devices to force open doorways, entrance doors, exit doors, and locked containers” to apprehend the goat.
To preserve Cedar’s life, however, Long had sent Cedar to a neighboring farm.
But, authorities reportedly took the goat without a warrant at that particular farm and brought him back to Shasta County to be slaughtered.
The article does not specify whether Cedar was then served at the BBQ.
