Sheriff: Deputy was justified in killing woman armed with shovel
Jessiram Hweih Rivera
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Polk County's sheriff is defending the actions of one of his deputies who killed a woman who was armed with a shovel.
The sheriff says Sgt. Sean Speakman was justified in shooting Jessiram Hweih Rivera last week.
The mother of two girls was 24 years old and weighed about 90 pounds. She was found wandering in and out of traffic on Rifle Range Road, and when Speakman arrived, detectives say she was holding a shovel.
Speakman says he told Rivera to drop it several times, but she didn’t, and continued to move towards him.
Speakman ended up shooting her four times.
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Sheriff Grady Judd
Judd says it was a split-second decision that he stands behind.
"Attacking a deputy with a deadly weapon is not acceptable. Ever," Judd said. "And my deputies not only have a right, but an obligation to protect the community and them from deadly attacks, or potentially deadly attacks."
The sheriff noted that Rivera has a criminal record that includes attacking a law enforcement officer.
Her family says she was struggling with mental illness and addiction.