A pregnant woman whose baby’s father used her as a human shield during a shootout with police in Gifford, Florida, was shot and killed during the melee.
Sheriff’s officers raided the home of Andrew Coffee IV and his father, Andrew Coffee III, on March 19. The Indian River Sheriff’s Office labeled the Coffee home, located in Gifford, a town just south of Orlando, Florida, a “known drug house.”
Officials said that the elder Coffee had unknowingly walked out of the house right into the hands of police, who were preparing for the raid, but the suspect’s son was still inside the house and was forewarned of the SWAT raid in the making, CBS 12 reported.
Subsequently, Andrew Coffee IV grabbed his four-month pregnant girlfriend, 21-year-old Alteria Woods, and tried to use her as a human shield as he opened fire on police. The officers returned fire, killing Woods. Coffee IV was then taken into custody.
“Andrew Coffee IV was cowardly using (Woods) as protection,” Indian River County Sheriff Deryl Loar said. “Our thoughts and prayers go to her family.”
Sheriff Loar described Coffee’s actions as an “ambush style” attack on police. One officer received a graze wound to her right shoulder during the shootout.
The raid was part of a coordinated response by police after Deputy Garry Chambliss was killed on March 17.
Inside the Coffee home, police discovered cocaine, pills, crack cocaine, and other illegal items. The two Coffee men and three others were arrested.
Bond was set at $93,000 for Andrew Coffee III and $307,000 for the suspect’s son, Andrew Coffee IV.
The gruesome death of the woman killed during the raid left the family in shock:
“I feel justice haven’t been done in this community, and something needs to be done,” Woods’ aunt, Arlene Cooper, told the media.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.
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