Quanell X, leader of the New Black Panther Party, right, speaks to Hearne mayor Ruben Gomez, left, during a rally outside the Hearne, Texas police department today following the Tuesday shooting of 93-year-old woman.HEARNE, Texas - The mayor of a small Texas town where a 93-year-old was shot by police says he will recommend that the officer be fired.
Hearne Mayor Ruben Gomez said Thursday the community has lost confidence after Pearlie Golden was shot this week at her home. Authorities say Officer Stephen Stem was responding to a 911 call about a disturbance involving a woman and a gun.
Hearne police have said Golden "brandished a gun" Tuesday night when Stem encountered her. The officer fired multiple times.
Longtime residents and some activists from nearby Houston protested outside Hearne's small police headquarters. Retired teacher William Foster says there's disbelief that an officer could shoot a woman in her 90s under any circumstance.
Residents say Golden lived alone in the town of about 4,500 people.