THIS IS WCCO 4 NEWS.
POLICE ARE DEALING WITH
SOMETHING THEY RARELY SEE.
AN ATTACK ON A POLICE HORSE.
OVER THE WEEKEND OFFICERS
ARRESTED A MAN THEY SAY PUNCHED
A HORSE AROUND BAR CLOSING TIME
IN DOWNTOWN.
POLICE IMMEDIATELY CAUGHT 22-
YEAR-OLD JACOB SOLBERG OF
MINNEAPOLIS AND BOOKED HIM IN
THE HENNEPIN COUNTY JAIL.
ANGELA DAVIS SPOKE WITH POLICE
OFFICERS ABOUT THIS INCIDENT.
STRANGE, ANGELA.
IT IS.
AND POLICE SAY IT'S NOT
SOMETHING THEY TAKE LIGHTLY
BECAUSE THAT PUNCH COULD HAVE
CREATED A VERY DANGEROUS
SITUATION.
IT HAPPENED SHORTLY AFTER 2
A.M.
SATURDAY IN DOWNTOWN
MINNEAPOLIS AS HUNDREDS OF
PEOPLE FILLED THE STREETS
OUTSIDE OF BARS AND CLUBS.
THE LATE NIGHT SCENE IS OFTEN
QUITE CROWD AND CAN GET
CHAOTIC.
YOU OFTEN SEE OFFICERS ON
HORSEBACK PATROLLING THE
STREETS.
THEY ARE DOING A PUBLIC
SERVICE.
THEY ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING
WRONG.
FOR SOMEONE TO WALK UP AND TAKE
A PUNCH AT A HORSE OR TAKE A
SLAP AT A HORSE IS KIND OF
SHOCKING.
Reporter: THE MINNEAPOLIS
POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS 12
HORSES.
THEY SPEND MUCH OF THEIR TIME
HERE AT A RANCH IN MAPLE PLAIN
BYSTANDER THEIR HUMAN PARTNERS
TAKE CARE OF THEM AND TRAIN
THEM.
A BIG PART OF THAT TRAINING IS
LEARNING HOW TO REMAIN CALM IN
LOUD CROWDS.
SHE IS A BRAVE HORSE.
SHE DOES WELL DOWNTOWN.
Reporter: INDIGO, ALSO KNOWN
AS INDY, IS THE HORSE THAT IS
PUNCHED.
HE JUST LITERALLY RAN RIGHT
UP AND HIT THE HORSE AS HE WAS
RUNNING PAST.
Reporter: POLICE SAY AROUND
2 A.M.
SATURDAY ALONG NORTH 4th
STREET BETWEEN 1st AND 2nd
AVENUES THIS MAN, JACOB
SOLBERG, RAN UP TO INDY AND
WITHOUT PROVOCATION PUNCHED THE
ANIMAL IN THE REAR END.
THE HORSE DIDN'T REACT.
IT DID WHAT IT WAS TRAINED TO
DO AND STAYED FOCUSED ON THE
TASK AT HAND.
Reporter: INDIGO WASN'T
HURT, BUT POLICE SAY SOMEONE
ELSE COULD HAVE BEEN.
OFFICERS WANT THE PUBLIC TO
KNOW THE DANGERS OF
DELIBERATELY HURT AGO HORSE.
WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS AND
THEY ARE STRUCK, YOU KNOW, THEY
CAN REAR UP.
THEY CAN THROW THE RIDER.
SO THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT SO
DANGEROUS.
Reporter: INDIGO, WHAT DOES
SHE WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW?
TREAT HER WITH RESPECT AND
JUST, YOU KNOW, DON'T DO THINGS
THAT YOU WOULDN'T DO TO ANOTHER
HUMAN BEING.
POLICE SAY JACOB SOLBERG WAS
ARRESTED AND HELD IN JAIL ON
SUSPICION OF FOURTH-DEGREE
ASSAULT BEFORE BEING RELEASED.
HE HAS A COURT APPEARANCE NEXT
WEEK.
THE MOUNTED PATROL UNIT IS A
VALUABLE PART OF THE
DEPARTMENT.
THEY ARE USED FOR CROWD CONTROL
AND A CRIME DETERRENT BECAUSE
OF THEIR HIGH VISIBILITY.
