'Dreadhead Cowboy' charged with animal cruelty after riding horse on highway in protest
09/23/2020 9:41 am PDT
via WGN:
CHICAGO (WGN) -- The Cook County State's Attorneys Office charged Adam Hollingsworth, a 33-year-old Chicago man known as the “Dreadhead Cowboy,” with aggravated animal cruelty, a felony.
Adam Hollingsworth rode his 7-year-old horse, "NuNu," while livestreaming on Facebook for about 30 minutes Monday on the Dan Ryan Expressway, tying up traffic at 4:30 p.m. in the afternoon with a motorcycle escort, all in an effort to bring attention to the recent rash of young children being killed or injured by gun violence.
Police said they asked Hollingsworth and those who were with him to exit the expressway multiple times and said they refused. They exited at 95th Street and Hollingsworth was taken into custody and charged with reckless conduct, disobeying a police officer and criminal trespass. Another man, Darron Luster was arrested for obstructing and resisting arrest.
Officers said NuNu was bleeding from her left hoof, her right hoof was injured and her body had sores from the saddle. She's now in the care of an animal rescue facility.
Earlier this month, Hollingsworth had met with police about a possible protest on the Dan Ryan but his request was denied.
In July, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot recruited Hollingsworth to help get the word out about filling out the 2020 Census.
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