A Florida woman charged with second-degree murder was physically removed from a courtroom on Friday after disrupting her pretrial detention hearing with outbursts claiming self-defense. Ashanti Brown, 23, refused to leave the witness stand, screaming that she shot her boyfriend, 26-year-old Ian Pleasant, in self-defense.
During testimony by Escambia County Sheriff's Office investigator Ashley Wallace, Brown shouted, "What about him beating on me? He was beating my face! I didn't do nothing!" Deputies then removed her from the courtroom. Her screams could be heard from the inmate hallway as proceedings continued.
Judge Matt Gordon decided to proceed without Brown present, stating that her behavior would be considered when determining her pretrial detention. "From the evidence I heard today ... I'm going to find that there is a substantial probability that the defendant did commit this second-degree homicide," Gordon said. He also noted her behavior indicated she posed a risk to the community and granted the state's motion for pretrial detention, denying bond.
According to an arrest affidavit, the Escambia County Sheriff's Office responded to a shooting at the Madison Shores Apartments on August 31. Around the same time, authorities received a report of a woman threatening suicide at a hotel. Brown was found at the hotel, where she reportedly told officers, "I didn't mean to, I'm sorry. He hit me in the face. I'm going to prison."
Brown told deputies that she and Pleasant had attended a party, and upon returning home, an argument ensued after she discovered he was cheating. She stated that Pleasant placed a gun on a table, and she picked it up and pointed it at him. She claimed Pleasant responded, "What the f*** are you going to do?" before lunging at her, at which point she fired the weapon. Police, however, noted inconsistencies in her account. Investigators stated that Pleasant was shot in the back, which conflicted with Brown's initial claim that he charged her. A later version of events suggested she claimed her boyfriend grabbed the gun during a struggle, causing it to discharge.
Investigators also noted that Brown did not call 911. Instead, she allegedly contacted a friend who assisted in disposing of evidence. Brown faces charges of second-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence. She remains in the Escambia County Jail, with her next hearing scheduled for September 25.