INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A hearing to determine whether Andrew Coffee IV will be granted “Stand Your Ground” immunity in the botched drug raid that led to the death of his girlfriend Alteria Woods has been postponed to next month.
Circuit Judge Dan Vaughn on Wednesday pushed the hearing back to 9 a.m. March 10 and March 11. The decision came after Coffee’s defense attorneys requested more time so that three witnesses – who were not present in court – could review a re-enactment video depicting the raid.
“Y’all better be prepared March 10 and 11,” Vaughn told Coffee’s defense and prosecuting attorneys. The hearing was originally set for 9 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday.
Defense Attorney Julia Graves and Assistant State Attorney Don Richardson met before the judge Wednesday morning for the hearing on the case. Coffee – wearing a red jail jumpsuit – sat next to Graves and Adam Chrzan, another defense attorney, who are both pushing for Vaughn to dismiss charges against Coffee based on Stand Your Ground immunity.
Everyone in the courtroom was required to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Alteria Woods
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY WOODS FAMILY
Alteria Woods was killed in the March 19, 2017 drug raid at a Gifford home where Coffee stayed with family. Court documents filed by Woods’ mother’s attorney showed that 20 law enforcement officers participated in the initial raid.
Woods, a 21-year-old pharmacy technician, was struck 10 times after being caught in a crossfire between three law enforcement officers and Coffee.
Prosecutors charged Coffee in Woods’ death, saying he initiated the gun battle. Coffee was charged with second-degree murder with a firearm, three counts of attempted first-degree murder of a law enforcement officer by discharging a firearm, possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon and shooting or throwing a deadly missile.
Coffee’s family members said deputies fired first and he shot back in self-defense, not knowing who was outside.
Florida’s Stand Your Ground Law states “a person who is in a dwelling or residence in which the person has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground.” That person also has the right to use deadly force if they feel their life is in danger, the law states.
Prosecutors exonerated the law enforcement officers who fired the fatal shots – Indian River County Sheriff’s Deputies Christopher Reeve and Patrick White, and Indian River Shores Officer Richard (Rick) Sarcinello. The shooting was investigated by the sheriff’s office.
Coffee has been held at the county jail since the fatal shooting. He remains held on $440,000 bond.
Re-enactment video
In court, Coffee turned and glanced at his mother, Towanna Ruffin, 44, and grandmother, Vivian Scott, in her 60’s, both of Gifford, shortly before Vaughn allowed the re-enactment video to be played in the courtroom.
Coffee, Ruffin and Scott, along with defense and prosecuting attorneys, watched the 12-to-15 minute footage, while everyone else was ordered to briefly leave the courtroom. Ruffin and Scott were both overcome with emotion after watching the clip for the first time.
“It’s so upsetting,” Ruffin said. “The re-enactment video wasn’t the truth (of what really happened).”
The sheriff’s office does not have body cameras that would have captured the actual incident.
Chrzan told Vaughn that he and Graves were only notified last week that there was a re-enactment video of the drug raid. Chrzan said the video might have exculpatory evidence.
“At no time was there mentioned during the deposition that there was a re-enactment done in 2017,” Chrzan told Vaughn. Graves asked Vaughn for a two-to-three week extension so all witnesses can review the video.
“Witnesses at the scene need to see the re-enactment,” Graves said.
Richardson, the lead prosecutor in the case, argued that the sheriff’s office has had the re-enactment video since 2017. Richardson said defense attorneys could have requested the video from the sheriff’s office.
He also said a search warrant used to conduct the re-enactment was placed into discovery last April.
“Everybody had notice the video existed April 27, 2020,” Richardson said after the hearing.
But, Richardson noted the video itself was not in discovery until last Wednesday. Richardson said defense attorneys waited until Friday to pick up the footage.
“The video has zero evidentiary value,” Richardson said.
Vaughn granted the defense’s request for more time, saying the video should have been provided to them sooner. Vaughn said he doesn’t think the delay was done intentionally by prosecutors.
“The defense has had time to look at the video from Friday to today,” Vaughn said.