Florida woman seeks charges dropped, claims self-defense in SWAT officer shooting
Diamonds Ford says she was acting in self-defense when she was woken from her sleep and shot at law enforcement serving a search warrant
Last September, Diamonds Ford was arrested for shooting a Jacksonville Sheriff SWAT team officer after law enforcement broke a window while serving a search warrant.
The Jacksonville, Florida woman, who was woken the morning of Sept. 28 by the sound of glass breaking, is now asking that charges brought against her be dropped arguing that she was unaware that it was law enforcement attempting to enter her home when she fired gunshots through the window. The bullets hit an officer’s bulletproof vest.
As reported by Insider, both Ford and her fiance Anthony Gantt are charged with attempted murder of a police officer and intent to distribute marijuana. The SWAT team was executing a search warrant from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Ford claims that she was unaware that law enforcement was outside of her home and only fired her weapon because she thought an intruder was entering the house.
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According to her lawyer Stephen Kelly, Ford had called 911 when the officers came to her home and that her interaction with the dispatcher proves that she did not know that law enforcement was serving a warrant.
“Miss Ford, just hearing her voice, she was in fear,” Kelly said. “She thought she was going to die that day.”
In audio of the 911 call that was obtained by Travis Gibson of WJXT, Ford is heard saying, “please hurry,” and, “someone’s shooting.” As the dispatcher asks “do you know who’s shooting,” a voice is heard in the background, to which Ford responds in a surprised tone, “Wait. That’s the sheriff’s office!”
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Ford then is heard calling out, “Hold on! Wait,” and, “I’m opening the door. You’ve got the wrong house!”
As reported by WJXT, Ford said she did not hear law enforcement identify themselves prior to firing her weapon. She stated that the sound of broken glass woke the couple out of their sleep and that she was acting in self-defense.
Ford was released on Friday after her $535,006 bail was paid by advocacy groups National Bail Fund Network, the Minnesota Freedom Fund and Dignity Power, The Hill reports. A GoFundMe page has also raised more than $7,000 for her as of Sunday afternoon.
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