An NYPD mounted unit horse tossed off its officer and galloped through Times Square after apparently getting spooked Wednesday evening, police say.
The horse named Gunny was on patrol at 48th Street and 7th Avenue at about 7:30 p.m. when he got startled by a sound and threw off its human officer, the NYPD said.
He sped down 48th Street, took a right on Sixth Avenue, then another right on 47th Street, hitting several parked cars along the way, police said.
Cab driver Kareem Khalil couldn't believe what he was seeing: Gunny ran right up behind his cab and sideswiped it, knocking off the side mirror.
"It looked like some mad horse," he said.
"Some people were screaming, but thank God nobody got hurt," he added.
After about two blocks down 47th, Gunny stopped on his own at a parking garage.
"They came here and went into the garage and started doing some two-step -- I guess he was telling everybody to get away," said witness Ace Guzman.
Gunny may have stopped at the garage because he recognized it: it's where police horses are occasionally dropped off when mounted officers go on breaks.
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He looked calm and somewhat chagrined as he was walked from the garage by an officer. He had some minor injuries but is otherwise OK.
The officer, meanwhile, was taken to Bellevue Hospital with minor injuries to his knee and back and scrapes to the face.
"I just thank God, you know, the horse didn't hurt nobody or kill anybody because that's a strong animal," said Guzman.
The NYPD's Mounted Unit is made up of 80 uniformed officers and about 75 horses. They help patrol streets and are often called upon to help ensure the order and safety of large throngs of people.
