Dusty: Doing much better. Credit: Photo courtesy of APD

The strangest things turn up in the email inbox for the news department: Product-boosting editorials for companies that don’t do business in Austin. Nigerian email scams. Rick Perry press releases. But there was head-scratching all around when Austin Police Department sent us a picture of a horse.

A quick phone call to APD’s public information office was in order (Not that we were upset about receiving a picture of a horse: makes a change from the average mugshot, after all). It turns out that the horse in question was Dusty the police horse, who is recovering after being allegedly assaulted early on Sunday night.

APD arrested Corsha Beasley for hitting Dusty in the face with her shoe. According to their affidavit, this is interference with a police service animal, a second degree felony. Beasley is also accused of hitting Dusty’s rider, SPO Nash, which is an assault on a police officer. Strangely, that’s only a third degree felony.

But seriously. Who hits a horse? And with a shoe?

This article appears in June 20 • 2008.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.