2 State Troopers Kill Horse On PA Highway, Criminal Investigation Underway

PENNSYLVANIA — Two Pennsylvania state troopers are under criminal investigation after they killed a horse on a local highway, according to authorities and multiple media reports.

The incident occurred back on Dec. 28, 2021, just before midnight, in Oxford, Chester County, near the Lancaster County line.

The horse escaped from an Amish farm along Route 1 near Route 10, according to a report in Lancaster Online.

The troopers on the scene determined that the horse was a "safety hazard to motorists," and decided to shoot it dead, PhillyVoice reports.

It remains unclear what efforts, if any, were made to contain the horse before it was killed.

The officers were placed on "restricted duty" status on March 15, when authorities determined that there was potential wrongdoing. It's not known what led to that revelation two and a half months later.

The investigation will seek to determine if the officers violated animal cruelty laws in the killing of the horse. The results of the state police investigation will be handed over to the Chester County District Attorney's Office, who will then determine if criminal charges are warranted.