Editing Hearne, Texas (section)

===Shooting of Pearlie Golden===
[[File:Hearne, TX, sign IMG 2263.JPG|thumb|right]]
In May 2014, protesters demonstrated against the shooting of a 93-year-old woman named Pearlie Golden by the Hearne Police Department.<ref name=USA/>   After Officer Stephen Stem responded to a disturbance at Golden's residence, police officials said that Golden had discharged a firearm into the ground twice. Stem shot Golden three times, resulting in Golden's death.<ref name=NYDN>{{cite web|last1=Boroff|first1=David|title=Texas cop who was axed after fatally shooting 93-year-old rips 'knee-jerk reaction'|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/fired-fatally-shot-93-year-old-woman-rips-knee-jerk-reaction-article-1.1789207|work=[[New York Daily News]]|access-date=November 27, 2014|date=May 12, 2014}}</ref>

The officer had been on the police force since 2012 and it was his second fatal shooting. Stem was placed on leave and Hearne mayor Ruben Gomez recommended Stem's firing.<ref name=USA>{{cite web|last1=Stanglin|first1=Doug|title=Texas town shaken after cop shoots 93-year-old|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/05/09/officer-shooting-93-year-old/8886487/|publisher=[[USA Today]]|access-date=November 27, 2014}}</ref> He was terminated by a unanimous city council vote. Stem's attorney said that some community members had turned a safety issue into one focused on age, race and gender.<ref name=NYDN/>