What happened to the horses loose in uptown? CMPD bucks questions
The status of two men literally horsing around in uptown Charlotte on April 3 is clear: After riding through the streets of uptown, they were arrested, charged and released on bail the next day.
A paper trail of police reports and court filings makes their journey into Charlotte’s legal system clear. But the fate of the horses they were riding, one of which was hit by a car? Not so much.
It seems a paper trail doesn’t exist for the two bucking broncos and no one can account for their current condition or location. Questions to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department are often met with a simple answer: neigh.
Maybe they’re still galloping through uptown Charlotte, destined to become legend. Perhaps someday the sound of horseshoes to pavement will serve as some kind of omen to the city’s future residents.
If CMPD officers know what happened to the horses, they’re not saying.
The scene
The last known details of the horses, which were ridden by Desmon Taylor Moore and Deven Tyler Moore, both 27, come from a police affidavit and viral video.
One of the horses tripped over a curb and fell over, toppling over its rider before running off. Another broke free from one of the men, who tried to stand up on its back, and galloped toward North College Street where it was hit by a passing car.
The Moores were charged with disorderly conduct and resisting a public officer.
But that is where the trail runs cold.
Was the horse hit by a car and knocked to the ground injured? Is it OK? Where is it now? One of the brothers did not return a call on Friday.
The police department does “not have any additional information regarding the horse involved in this incident,” a department email said a week later on April 10. A police department spokesperson said he was unable to get an answer.
“I am not at liberty to say or know, really, who the horses belong to, because, I mean, it’s still an active investigation,” he said. “I don’t know the condition of the horses.”
Mister Ed the Talking Horse would have way more to say about this.
A trip Friday to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control office on Byrum Drive didn’t prove to be helpful either. None of the employees knew of the horses’ condition or where they were. One employee had not heard about the horses in uptown until then, but asked many of the same questions unanswered by police, including who owned the horses and whey they were now.
Another employee said the facility, which mostly holds dogs and cats, didn’t have the capacity to hold animals like horses. She came back with sticky notes from her supervisor with people to contact at CMPD for more information.
Melissa Knicely, a spokesperson at Animal Care and Control also recommended the police spokesperson, not knowing he already said police can’t reveal whether the horses are OK. Animal Care and Control is assisting in the investigation, but CMPD is leading it, Knicely said.
For now, one can only hope the horses are somewhere safe and stable.
