A former Broward Sheriff’s deputy was convicted of two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon.
The defendant, who faces a maximum of 30 years in prison when sentenced later this month, was a BSO deputy from 1997 - 2002. After leaving BSO, she faced drug addiction, even being charged with trafficking back in 2010.
The incident that led to her arrest - and ultimately two felony convictions - stemmed from a 911 call that her mother had made because she was afraid that her daughter, the defendant, was going to shoot herself.
When police arrived, a standoff ensued. The evidence at trial showed that at one point during the standoff, the defendant exited her home and pointed a handgun at police. The police opened fire, resulting in the defendant losing two fingers and one of her legs. She now uses a prosthetic.
Before trial, the defendant was offered a plea of 6 years in state prison, which she rejected.
At trial, the defendant took the stand to claim that she had no recollection of the incident.
Aggravated assault is normally a third-degree felony. When the victim is a law enforcement officer, the crime becomes a second-degree felony with a mandatory minimum of 3 years.
Eric Matheny is a criminal defense attorney serving Miami-Dade and Broward. Attorney Eric Matheny represents clients charged with aggravated assault, aggravated assault with a firearm, and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.