Jessiram Hweih Rivera: Young mother of two shot, killed in altercation with police
On November 12, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in Winter Haven, Florida, released word that 24-year-old Jessiram Hweih Rivera of Winter Haven was shot and killed by a patrol sergeant on Thursday as she advanced upon the deputy in a threatening manner while brandishing a shovel. Police said that Rivera had an extensive arrest criminal history, including violent felonies that included a previous battery on a law enforcement officer.
The fatal shooting went down at approximately 3:45 p.m. in Wahneta, in unincorporated Polk County, after Rivera reportedly attacked the deputy with a shovel.
Initially, deputies were called to the area after receiving a report that a suspicious woman was walking in and out of moving traffic on Rifle Range Road near Noles Lane in Wahneta.
Patrol Sergeant Sean Speakman, 46, arrived in the area at approximately 3:26 p.m. He located Rivera just south of Redemption Baptist Church on the west side of Rifle Range Road and attempted to speak with her. She was in an obvious state of agitation, and she was holding a shovel.
As Sergeant Speakman was talking with the woman on a private dirt driveway, she raised the shovel, pointing it towards the Sergeant and began advancing towards him.
The Sergeant gave her verbal commands to stop and put the shovel down multiple times and began backing away. She did not put the shovel down, and continued to advance towards the Sergeant, threatening him with the shovel. The Sergeant fired four shots, striking the woman.
Sergeant Speakman radioed in that shots had been fired and began life-saving measures, including CPR, and continued until Polk County Fire Rescue arrived. Polk County Fire/EMS took over life-saving efforts. Rivera was transported to a local hospital, where she was declared deceased.
Speakman, 46, was hired by the PCSO in 1998 and began working in Information Technologies. He entered the training academy and became a deputy Sheriff in 2005. He was promoted to Sergeant in 2018.
The Sheriff’s Office shared Rivera’s criminal history which included the following:
- 12/19/2013; Osceola County SO; Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon
- 11/03/2016; Osceola County SO; Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon
- 12/04/2017; Kissimmee PD; Battery on Law Enforcement Officer, Guilty/Convicted
- 12/04/2017; Kissimmee PD; Criminal Mischief
- 12/04/2017; Kissimmee PD; Resisting with Violence
- 02/25/2018; Orange County SO; Possession of Cocaine, Guilty/Convicted
- 9/11/2018; Columbus PD (Nebraska); Fugitive From Justice
- 09/27/2018; Osceola County SO; Parole Violation
- 11/02/2018; Osceola County SO; Warrant Arrest Other Jurisdiction
- 11/7/2018; Orange County SO; Failure to Appear in Court
- 11/7/2018; Orange County SO; Conditional Release Violation
- 4/16/2019; WHPD; Warrant Arrest Other Jurisdiction
- 4/18/2019; Orange County SO; Violation of Probation/Parole
- 5/26/2020; PCSO; Possession of Methamphetamine
- 5/26/2020; PCSO; Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
- 11/3/2020; PCSO; Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon
Fox 13 News in Tampa Bay reported that Rivera was the mother of two young girls, and that according to her family and friends, she suffered from being bipolar, she was schizophrenic, and she also struggled with drug addiction.
“She has been struggling and fighting with her demons,” offered her mother, Jessica Rivera Hweih.
“She always had a smile on her face, even if she was mad, she was always smiling,” friend Amanda James said. “She didn’t deserve to die like this, she didn’t.”
“The violence that he used was not needed,” complained Natasha Martin, another friend of Rivera’s. “He could have tazed her, maced her. He could have called for backup.” ~ Per Fox 13
Standard protocol for all deputy-involved shootings include four independent investigations: the PCSO Homicide Unit is conducting a death investigation, PCSO Administrative Investigations is conducting an administrative inquiry, the State Attorney’s Office responded to the scene and will conduct a separate investigation, and the 10th District Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an investigation to determine the cause and manner of death, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Per agency protocol the deputy involved will be on administrative leave with pay during the initial phase of the investigation.
A GoFundMe campaign was established by Rivera’s mother to help support her two young children.
“Jess leaves behind two beautiful daughters 6 years old and 2 months old and we need to be able to take care of them.” ~GoFundMe
For more on the story, see the video accompanying this article.
(Source: Polk County Sheriff’s Office)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter
