Protester gets probation for hitting police horse with pole

HARRISBURG, Pa. – A counter-protester accused of attacking a police horse at a demonstration against Shariah law in Pennsylvania has been sentenced to two years’ probation.

Police say 24-year-old Lisa Simon hit a state trooper’s horse in the neck with a flag pole that had a nail protruding from it. The trooper and the horse were not injured.

Simon was part of a group protesting against anti-Islamic law demonstrators in Harrisburg last year. Her lawyer said there was a lot of “tension” at the protest, and the judge said it appeared she got “caught up in the emotion.”

PennLive.com reports she pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges including possession of an offensive weapon and disorderly conduct. More serious charges, including aggravated assault, were dropped as part of a deal with prosecutors.