A 23-year-old Florida woman has been removed from her own court hearing after reportedly shouting that she shot and killed her boyfriend in self-defense. Ashanti Brown is facing charges of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence in connection with the death of her 26-year-old boyfriend, Ian Pleasant.
The dramatic exchange occurred during a probable cause hearing on Friday as a detective was providing testimony about the case. Brown reportedly interrupted the proceedings and began insisting that Pleasant had physically abused her.
“What about him beating on me?!” Brown shouted, according to the account provided. “He was beating my face! I didn’t do nothing.”
Court deputies removed Brown from the courtroom after the outburst. The hearing continued in her absence, and the judge ultimately determined that probable cause existed for both charges to proceed.
According to investigators, deputies responded to the Madison Shores apartments in Pensacola on August 31 following a report of a shooting. Around the same period, authorities also received a separate call concerning a woman who was reportedly threatening suicide at a hotel.
Deputies located Brown at the hotel. According to an arrest affidavit, she was crying when officers found her and allegedly admitted that she had killed Pleasant inside their apartment the previous day.
Investigators said Brown reportedly told authorities, “I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry,” and indicated that Pleasant had struck her in the face. She allegedly also expressed concern that she would go to prison.
Brown reportedly told investigators that she and Pleasant had attended a birthday party where he discovered that she had been unfaithful. According to her account, the discovery led to an argument after the couple returned to their apartment.
Her initial account of the shooting allegedly involved a firearm being placed on the kitchen table. Brown reportedly said she picked up the gun and that Pleasant challenged her before rushing toward her. She claimed that she then fired the weapon.
Investigators say Brown later provided a different version of events. In the second account, she allegedly claimed that Pleasant grabbed the firearm first and that the weapon discharged while the two were struggling over it.
Police say the physical evidence raised significant questions about the circumstances of the shooting and Brown’s self-defense claim. Investigators noted that Pleasant had been shot in the back, although the significance of that fact to a self-defense claim would ultimately depend on the complete circumstances surrounding the shooting and the evidence presented in court.
Authorities also allege that Brown did not immediately contact emergency services after the shooting. Instead, investigators say she contacted a friend and asked for assistance in cleaning the apartment.
According to police, Brown allegedly drove Pleasant’s vehicle to the residence of a family friend and disposed of potential evidence along the way. Investigators allege that she threw the firearm and Pleasant’s cellphone out of the vehicle window.
Police further allege that Brown removed a doorbell camera from the apartment and gave it to a man whom she claimed had helped her. However, investigators said the man denied assisting Brown with the disposal or destruction of evidence.
The allegations involving the firearm, cellphone, doorbell camera, and cleaning of the apartment form the basis of the tampering-with-evidence charge in addition to the murder allegation. Authorities are continuing to examine the evidence and the different accounts provided during the investigation.
Brown remains detained in the Escambia County Jail without bond. Her next court hearing is scheduled for September 25, when the case is expected to move forward through the judicial process.
Brown has been accused of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence but has not been convicted. The charges remain allegations, and prosecutors will have to prove the case against her in court. Her claim that she acted in self-defense may also become an important issue as the proceedings continue, with the circumstances inside the apartment and the evidence surrounding the shooting likely to receive further examination.
