It would take 10 police officers to replace fallen Chicago police horse Mikey C., who died Monday of an apparent heart attack, Lt. Paul Bauer said Tuesday.“There’s an expression they use in the horse world — that horse was bomb-proof,” Bauer said at a press conference to discuss the horse’s death. “You could stand in the middle of a demonstration, and nothing would bother that horse.”
The 18-year-old chestnut thoroughbred was with Chicago police for eight years and was partnered with Officer Paul Casasanto. Casasanto was on mounted patrol at North Avenue Beach Monday afternoon when Mikey fell after what police believe was a heart attack. Casasanto quickly dismounted as the horse kicked and struggled before falling over and dying moments later.
Mikey C. is one of 21 CPD horses named after fallen officers, a practice that began in 2001; Mikey’s namesake was Officer Michael Ceriale, who was shot while doing undercover drug surveillance in 1998.
Mounted officers were brought back to Chicago in 1974 and are used for patrol, crowd management and as ambassadors to tourists.
“When they’re up high, it takes away the face-to-face confrontation,” Bauer said. “Even troublemakers realize, ‘Why pick on a horse?’ ”
THE SUN-TIMES HAS A NICE LITTLE GROUP OF PHOTOS OF THE CPD HORSE STABLE - CLICK HERE TO VIEW THEM
