Residence of former Florida COVID-19 data scientist raided by legislation enforcement with guns drawn

A Florida data scientist who built the state’s COVID-19 dashboard, but was then fired after she said she refused to manipulate knowledge claimed her dwelling was raided by Florida Division of Legislation Enforcement brokers on Monday.

The FDLE confirmed to sister station WESH in Orlando that agents had executed a search Monday at the property of Rebekah Jones.

Jones mentioned in a sequence of tweets Monday afternoon that agents knocked on her door around 8 a.m. Monday and took “all her tech.”

“They pointed a gun in my deal with. They pointed guns at my young ones,” Jones’ tweet claimed.

Jones served make the dashboard that tracks coronavirus in Florida. She says she was fired after refusing to manipulate details and claimed that latest wellbeing department personnel were being manipulating the information and facts.

She created her individual dashboard following she was fired.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in June identified as Jones’ statements about info manipulation a conspiracy theory.

“You have no evidence for it. You will need to go on, I necessarily mean you definitely do. It truly is uncomfortable,” the governor stated in June.

Jones reported the brokers that entered her dwelling on Monday showed her a warrant based mostly on a criticism filed by the Florida Department of Health and fitness.

The video Jones shared on Twitter shows brokers coming into her dwelling with guns drawn and contacting for her spouse to come downstairs, in accordance to Jones.

The FDLE verified in a assertion to WESH that the warrant was served immediately after a complaint was submitted by Florida Office of Overall health.

“This morning FDLE served a research warrant at a residence on Centerville Courtroom in Tallahassee, the dwelling of Rebekah Jones. FDLE commenced an investigation November 10, 2020 after getting a complaint from the Division of Health and fitness pertaining to unauthorized access to a Office of Health and fitness messaging method which is element of an crisis alert procedure, to be applied for emergencies only. Agents feel someone at the residence on Centerville Court docket illegally accessed the technique.

When brokers arrived, they knocked on the doorway and called Ms. Jones in an attempt to lower disruption to the spouse and children. Ms. Jones refused to arrive to the doorway for 20 minutes and hung-up on brokers. Just after various tries and verbal notifications that law enforcement officers have been there to serve a legal search warrant, Ms. Jones inevitably came to the doorway and authorized brokers to enter. Ms. Jones spouse and children was upstairs when brokers created entry into the home,” the FDLE assertion stated.

U.S. Rep. Val Demings responded to the video in a tweet on Monday evening. She identified as it troubling and said far more details is needed.