Who was your hero growing up? Was it someone fictional, like Batman or Superman? Or was it someone in your life, like your mom, dad, or teacher? Heroes are around us every day, and we often forget to give them the respect they deserve.
Detective Kristen Hearne was a hero to many, and she was sadly killed in the line of duty in Georgia. She was shot four times during a call about a stolen car. Detective Herne leaves behind her husband, and 3-year-old son, Isaac.
"She was the most amazing, beautiful person that I've ever known," her husband, Matt Hearne, told Channel 2 Action News. "She died doing what she loved to do."
"We'll never say goodbye. It's never goodbye. It's until we meet again," Hearne's mom, Trish Brewer, said. "Her watch ended that day. But now she's watching over us. She's watching over us in heaven now."
Close to one thousand people attended her funeral service at Victory Baptist Church as Hearne was ed by her loved ones.
But as the funeral procession ed through Polk County, there was one tribute that stood out more than others, and it was all because of a 3-year-old boy.
"Cohen has always looked up to police officers," says his mom, Mandy Brooks Chastain. "He is so sweet and has always had the biggest heart," she said. "He loves superheroes and thinks of police officers as real-life superheroes."
Cohen and his family attended Hearne's service, but he still had a lot of questions.
"I told him the truth. I told him that a police officer got shot and killed by a 'bad guy,'" Chastain said. "He totally understood and he seemed so heartbroken."
Cohen wanted to do something to honor the fallen officer, and he wanted to be in uniform to do it.
"He stood out there on that stool for hours saluting each officer that came by," Chastain said. "He made us so proud."
Cohen may just be 3-years-old, but he already has a bigger heart than so many people.
Share this if you love what Cohen did for Detective Hearne, may she rest in peace.