The Hearne City Council voted unanimously Saturday in favor of terminating the officer who shot and killed 93-year-old Pearlie Golden.
Approximately 75 Hearne residents who were in attendance burst into applause after the vote to fire 28-year-old Stephen Stem.
Council members met in executive session for 25 minutes before conducting the vote in public. No public discussion surrounding the council's decision took place.
Hearne City Attorney Rusty Russ said he briefed council members on the investigation into Golden's death and was in support of their decision.
Russ would not say where he received the information he used in briefing the council members or discuss what was shared behind closed doors.
Stem and another Hearne officer responded to Golden's home in the 1400 block of Pin Oak Street at about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday after Golden's great-nephew, Roy Jones, called 911 to report his elderly relative had a gun, according to officials.
Authorities have said Golden was shot after brandishing a .38-caliber revolver in front of the police and not putting it down when commanded to.
According to Roberston County District Attorney Coty Siegert, Stem discharged four rounds and struck Golden twice -- once in the right arm and once in the upper chest.
Although Theresa Jones, the sister of Roy Jones, Golden's nephew, said her brother told his family Golden fired two rounds into the ground at some point during the incident, authorities have not confirmed that the woman shot her gun, and encouraged people not to draw any conclusions until the investigation is completed.
Hearne Mayor Ruben Gomez said Stem was invited to the council meeting, but declined.
Among those in attendance at the council meeting was the mother of Tederalle Satchell, a 28-year-old who was fatally shot by Stem in December 2012, about six months after he'd joined the Hearne police force.
Stem was initially placed on paid administrative leave for the 2012 incident, but was placed back on patrol after a grand jury no-billed him.
Copyright 2014 - The Eagle, Bryan, Texas
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
