Not every day, one encounters a miniature horse traipsing through suburban streets, but that's exactly what unfolded in Brownstown Township, Michigan. As Detroit area locals celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with characteristic revelry, Brownstown Township Police found themselves corralling a small equine escapee.
According to CBS News Detroit, the Brownstown Township police department shared details of the unusual incident on their social media, capturing the attention of residents with a light-hearted post. The officers were on "high alert for suspicious activity" due to the holiday, leading them to discover the miniature horse reportedly "creeping around one of our subdivisions." Once lassoed, they joked, "this guy had a little too much fun on St. Patty’s Day."
The adventurous horse was spotted in the roadway early in the morning by resident Michelle Cialkowski, who almost mistook it for a deer. Cialkowski then assisted the police in locating the wandering animal, which was cornered in a backyard after being spotted by officers with flashlights. In the event of body cam footage shared by WXYZ, an officer can be heard gently coaxing, "Come here. Hey. Come here, little guy," before they managed to harness the horse safely.
The miniature horse was eventually returned to its home at Ponies R Us Petting Zoo, less than a mile away. Expressing relief, Cialkowski stated, per WXYZ, "I didn’t realize there was a petting farm this close to me, but I was just glad that they took the time to find him and made sure he got back home safely, and it was just a really feel-good story." The officers seemed to enjoy the out-of-the-ordinary police work, as one quipped in the body cam footage, "17 We are secure with our suspect. I don’t know what to say at this point. Let’s go take a photo of this. You have to take a photo of this. This is a bucket list thing, for sure. I’m just going to sound off."
The Brownstown Twp Police also celebrated their successful roundup on their Facebook page, praising the officers, "Great work Ofc Lieb, Washburn and Cormier."
