Horse punched, 4 deputies injured in drunken fight at county fair

TURLOCK, Calif. - Four deputies were injured and a sheriff's horse was punched when a fight broke out during a busy night at the Stanislaus County Fair.

Around 10 p.m. Sunday, a group of drunken men reportedly wearing gang attire had gathered near a beer booth, according to the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department.

When they were told to leave the fair, the sheriff's department reports one of the men attacked a deputy, starting an altercation that drew a large crowd.



At one point, a man got knocked over by Maximus, a horse with the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department. The sheriff's department says the man's beer spilled and he retaliated by punching Maximus in his hindquarters.

The four deputies sustained minor injuries in the brawl.

In total, five people were arrested, including the man who punched Maximus.

The sheriff's department says the horse is doing just fine and was recovering Monday by "running around his pasture and eating alfalfa." They even posted a picture of Maximus with a tiny Band-Aid and a teddy bear to comfort him.