Charge has now been brought against a woman whose unborn baby was killed in a gentle shooting accident in the Grove.
A Jefferson County grand jury indicted Marsha Jones, a 27-year-old woman, of manslaughter. Have been detained.
Although Jones did not fire the shots that killed her unborn child, authorities say they started the feud that led to the shooting. Police initially charged 23-year-old Ebony Jamison with manslaughter, but the charge against Jamison was dismissed after a grand jury failed to charge her.
The shooting happened at noon outside the dollar general on Park Road. Officers were sent to the scene based on a report of someone being shot, but arrived to find the victim – later identified as Jones – had been picked up and taken to Fairfield. Then police and paramedics found Jones in a Fairfield store.
Jones was transferred from Fairfield to UAB Hospital. She was five months pregnant and was shot in the stomach. The unborn child did not survive the shooting.
“The investigation showed that the only real victim in this was the unborn child,” said Lieutenant Danny Reed of Pleasant Grove Police at the time of the shooting. “It was the mother of the child who started and continued the fight that led to the death of her unborn child.”
Reed said that the quarrel arose over the father of the unborn child. The investigation showed, he said, that Jones was the one who started the fight and put pressure on him, ultimately prompting Jamieson to fend for herself and unfortunately causing the child’s death.
“Let’s not lose sight of that the unborn child is the victim here. She had no choice to be unnecessarily brought into a fight as she relied on her mother for protection,” said Reid.
Reid added that the 5-month-old fetus was “relying on its mother to try to protect it from harm, and she should not look for unnecessary physical hassles.”
Jones will be transferred to Jefferson County Jail where she will be held on a $ 50,000 bond.
The indictment and prosecution are handled by the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office Bessemar Kattoff. Linnis Washington, the prosecutor in that office, could not be reached for comment. Jefferson County is divided into two parts and Bessamer covers the western portion of the county, including Pleasant Grove.
The news of Jones’ grand jury indictment angered many, including women’s rights activists.
The Yellowhammer Fund, a member of the National Network of Abortion Funds that helps women access abortion services, released a statement Wednesday night. The group gained national attention after the passage of a new abortion law in Alabama.
“Alabama has demonstrated once again that the moment a person becomes pregnant, their sole responsibility is to produce a healthy, live baby, and that it considers any action a pregnant person takes that might hinder a live birth as a criminal act,” said Executive Director Amanda Reyes in the statement. .
“Today, Marsha Jones is accused of manslaughter for being pregnant and being shot during an altercation with someone who had a gun. Tomorrow, she will be another black woman, possibly for drinking a drink while pregnant.” Reyes then said, another, for not getting adequate prenatal care.
“We are committed to making sure that Marsha is released from prison on bail, to help with her legal representation, and to work to ensure that she gets justice because of the multiple attacks she has been subjected to,” Reyes said.
