Cochran Firm attorneys James Bryant and Carlos Moore are representing Corey Marioneaux, Jr. whose house was raided by the Pensacola, FL SWAT team at 4:45 on the morning of February 3, 2020. When SWAT initiated the raid Marioneaux was asleep with his children (ages one and three). After hearing the loud boom at his door Marioneaux grabbed his firearm and fired one shot at a police officer before dropping the weapon and peacefully surrendering and repeatedly apologizing to the officers. Attorney Bryant claims that the officers violated the “Knock and Announce” policy of the Pensacola Police Department which requires that PPD officers wait at least 15 seconds after announcing their presence before entering someone’s home. According to the PPD arrest report the SWAT team waited approximately 10 seconds after announcing their presence before breaching Marioneaux’s front door with a battering ram. The Pensacola Police Department has charged Marioneaux with attempted murder of a law enforcement officer.
Attorney Bryant, along with other attorneys who are representing Marioneaux, are asking the State Attorney’s Office to drop any and all criminal charges against him. The Pensacola Police Department have said they were serving a search warrant in hopes of finding evidence related to a non-fatal shooting that occurred in downtown Pensacola on January 22, 2022, that resulted in two people being injured.
“It’s bad enough his children have been traumatized — absolutely traumatized — but he has to think about, every day, knowing that I might be going to jail for something that all I did was try to protect my family.”
-Cochran Firm Attorney James Bryant
Marioneaux’s one-year-old son Cylen was injured after he was taken into police custody. The child had been placed in the back of a police car and fell on the ground when an officer opened the door. EMS was called at 6:40 to treat a hemorrhage and laceration on the toddler. Escambia County could not describe what EMS saw or said, but we know that EMS was not taken to a hospital. The child’s mother, Moiya Dixon, did take him to the hospital for treatment after both children were released to the family and he was treated for injuries to his face and underwent CAT scans and x-rays. Dixon claims that the police attempted to dissuade her from taking the child to the hospital.
The Pensacola Police Department has opened an internal affairs investigation and Moiya Dixon has claims that the Florida Department of Children and Families is also investigating, though DCF has yet to confirm this.
In addition to the charges and injury to his child, Marioneaux was also fired from his job at Navy Federal the day following the raid and explained that it was due to the current circumstances. His attorneys argue that while he has been charged with a crime, he has not been convicted and plan on filing a civil lawsuit against Navy Federal for wrongful termination. This is in addition to the civil actions against the Pensacola Police Department and county EMS they are planning to address the injuries to the one-year-old child.
Attorneys plan on utilizing a Castle Doctrine or stand your ground state statute as part of Marioneaux’s criminal defense strategy. Attorney Bryant explained that, “The Castle Doctrine applies either when the individual doesn’t know that it is law enforcement coming into his home or if law enforcement doesn’t follow policy”.
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