A Queen’s University student and an Algonquin College student are facing charges after slapping a Kingston police horse during Queen’s homecoming weekend.
Both students, along with another man from the Cobourg area, will be charged with “injuring a law enforcement animal,” according to Kingston Police.
Three separate incidents took place between 2:30-3:30 p.m on Oct. 15, a police statement said. Within one hour, all three individuals slapped a police horse, named Murney, used by constables in the Kingston Police Mounted Unit.
According to police, the horse-slappers will be charged under “Quanto’s Law,” which is a recent amendment to the Criminal Code introduced in 2015.
The amendment was established to “better protect law enforcement animals, military animals and service animals and to ensure that offenders who harm those animals or assault peace officers are held fully accountable.”
The three offenders could face a fine of up to $10,000 and a prison sentence up to 18 months.
A video of the incident went viral on Instagram, racking up nearly 700,000 views as of publication. In the video, a female student is seen running up to the horse and slapping it on the rear. She then falls to the ground after the horse kicks her with its hind legs, and quickly picks herself up to run away from the scene.
Kingston Police also tweeted about the incidents.
“Disappointing news from #QueensHomecoming. Our new horse, Murney, was slapped 3X tonight. No injuries. 2 men & 1 woman charged criminally,” the tweet said.
In addition to the horse-slapping incidents, Kingston Police reported making 19 total arrests during the homecoming weekend, 15 of which were for public intoxication. The average age for those arrested during the event was around 19.
Despite the arrests, Kingston Police said they “were able to maintain an overall safe environment during the Queen’s Homecoming weekend.”
