A Hearne Police Department officer fatally shot a 93-year-old woman at her home prompting friends and neighbors to demand action against him.
Pearlie Golden, a resident of Hearne, Texas, was shot 5 times. Police say they responded to a 911 call about an armed woman outside a home on Pin Oaks Street. Reports say that Golden's nephew called the emergency helpline after she started waving a gun.
In a statement issued by the Hearne Police Department, the authorities said that Golden was in possession of a firearm at the time Officer Stephen Stern came in contact with her. "An officer asked her to put the handgun down, and when she would not, shots were fired," Robertson County District Attorney Coty Siegert said. She was taken to a St Joseph's Hospital in Bryan, Texas, where she was pronounced dead.
Andrew Johnson, who knew Golden for 25 years, said he heard several gun fires Tuesday night and then someone shouting "Don't shoot her no more!" he told KBTX-TV. "I didn't think much of it, because I was thinking it was on the other street," he said.
Texas Rangers have launched a probe into the matter. The incident angered the residents of Hearne, a town with at least 4,500 people. Over 100 protesters assembled in the neighborhood for a demonstration demanding the removal of the police officer Stem who shot Golden dead.
Quanell X, the organizer of the march, said the demonstration would turn into an "armed protests" if the Stem was not fired. "Like hell will we stand by and let him have a third shot," Quanell X said, reports Houston Chronicle.
Stem previously shot dead Tederalle Satchell, who police claim was firing a weapon from inside a parked car. Satchell's cousin, Waymon Webster, said that Stem should be punished for Golden's death. "What are they going to do, let him go so he can smile and hold another pistol? You know what I mean? It's not right."
Golden, was known for having a lively and friendly presence. "There's no justification. Any police officer would know not to kill a 93-year-old fragile woman when they could have backed off," William Foster, 64, a retired professor in Hearne told the Associated Press. "She was no threat to him."
Mayor Ruben Gomez assured the protesters that he will advise the City Council to fire Stem. The council declared that a meeting will be called Saturday to discuss possible discipline for the police officer.
