Funeral On Tuesday For Officer Shot Dead In Polk County

CEDARTOWN, GA -- The community will say goodbye to a Polk County police officer who was killed late last week in the line of duty. The funeral service for Kristen Hearne, 29, a detective with the Polk County Police Department, will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 3 at Victory Baptist Church in Rockmart, her obituary states.

Hearne was dispatched to help another Polk County officer who was responding to a call of a suspicious vehicle around 10:56 a.m. Sept. 29 on Santa Claus Road. The vehicle was identified as being stolen from Tennessee and while checking on the car, the officers "made contact" with Seth Brandon Spangler, 31, and Samantha Roof, 22, who appeared from the nearby wood line, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.

While speaking with the two subjects, Spangler allegedly pulled a handgun and fired. The first officer, identified as David Goodrich, was shot in his bulletproof vest while Hearne was fatally shot multiple times, the GBI added (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app).

Spangler and Roof fled the scene and a search of the area involving local, state, and federal agencies began. Roof was caught a short time later and at around 2:48 p.m., Spangler appeared out of the woods and was arrested.

The pair are charged with murder and aggravated assault, and are being held without bond at the Polk County Jail. According to the GBI, Hearne was shot at least four times and due to the location of the fatal wound, it is "unlikely" that a body armor vest would have prevented the detective's death, the agency added.

In honor of Hearne, Gov. Nathan Deal has ordered flags to fly at half-staff on Oct. 3, the day of her funeral and burial.

"Detective Hearne was a dedicated public servant and Georgia will always remember her selflessness, character, and the sacrifices she made," Gov. Deal said.

The Polk County Police Department said Hearne was a "true professional who loved her job and it was reflected by her work ethic and compassion she showed everyday."

"She will be missed," the department added Saturday on its Facebook page. "Please pray for our agency, the Hearne family and Officer David Goodrich who was also shot during this tragedy but is recovering. They both are heroes."

Like Cartersville Patch on Facebook!

According to her obituary, Hearne was born Nov. 15, 1987, in Rome. She began her career in law enforcement in 2008 with the Floyd County Sheriff's Office as a deputy. Hearne moved to the Polk County Police Department in July 2012 where she initially started as a patrol officer. She was promoted to the rank of detective in 2013 and assigned to the agency's Criminal Investigations Division.

Hearne is survived by husband, Matt; son, Issac; mother and father, Patricia Tinney Brewer and Ron Brewer; father, Sidney Snead; brothers, Joseph Montgomery, Patrick Snead, Michael Snead and Matt Brewer; grandfather, Rev. James Brewer; father and mother-in-law, Rev. Chris and Marie Hearne; her sister-in-law, Amber H. Puckett; a number of nieces and nephews; and aunts, uncles and cousins also survive.

A GoFundMe page has also been established to help Hearne's family through the sudden and tragic loss. You can consider making a donation to the family by clicking here.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Calhoun Office continues to investigate the shooting. Anyone with information is asked to call office at 706-624-1424.

Image via Polk County Police Department