Video released of warrant served at home of former state health dept. dashboard builder

ORLANDO, Fla. - Video Rebekah Jones posted to her Twitter account Monday received more than nine million views in a day. At the start of the 31-second video, Jones is seen inside her home opening her front door as Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) agents entered, giving her instructions on what to do.

AGENTS: "Come outside… Outside. Who else is in the house, ma’m?"

JONES: "My two children and my husband."

AGENTS: "Where’s your husband at? Calm down, calm down."

JONES: "You want the children down?"

AGENT: "We want them all down."  

Seconds later, the video shows agents with their guns drawn yelling at someone upstairs as agents serve a search warrant at Jones’ home in Tallahassee. 

AGENTS: "Police, come down." Search warrant (INAUDIBLE)

JONES: "He just pointed a gun at my children. He just pointed a gun at my children."

Jones is represented by Longwood first amendment attorney Lawrence Walters. 

“I think that this was reckless and unnecessary. I could easily have responded to a request for a computer and a phone through a subpoena or a coordinated execution for a warrant in a reasonable manner. We’re in litigation with these folks, with the state, and there’s no reason their attorneys could not have contacted us and said we need to search the computer, we want you to surrender it to us. This could have been done in a reasonable manner where nobody’s lives were threatened, where children wouldn’t be terrified,” Walters said.

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The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) released a statement on its website disputing Jones’ claim saying, “At no time were weapons pointed at anyone in the home.”

Then after FOX 35 News requested a copy of the agency’s protocols for serving warrants,  they sent a much longer statement saying, in part:

“Upon arrival at the home, agents attempted to make contact numerous times at the front door of the residence.  There was no response to attempts to make contact; however, the agents could see movement within the residence through windows / doors. Other attempts to contact the residents included calling Ms. Jones’ cellphone. Contact was made with Ms. Jones via telephone by the supervisor who identified who and why the agents were at Ms. Jones’ residence. Ms. Jones then hung up on the supervisor. No less than seven additional calls were made with no answer. Agents continued to knock and announce their presence on the front door of the residence. Ms. Jones later appeared at the window adjacent to the front door, where agents directed her to open the door pursuant to a legal search warrant. Agents were aware that children were possibly present at the residence and adjusted their tactics for entry. Ms. Jones did not open the door until approximately 23 minutes after the agents first attempted to make contact at the residence.”

Jones’ attorney disputes the FDLE statement.

“My client is on the record saying that she took a few minutes to get dressed because she thought she was going to be arrested by police pounding on her door demanding to be let in. I think that is a reasonable thing to do, to get dressed before you open the door to a bunch of armed police officers,” Walters said. “The rest of it appears to be inaccurate or an attempt to justify in appropriate actions by law enforcement.”

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Jones is the data scientist who was fired by the Florida Department of Health earlier this year for alleged insubordination. She claims she was told to fudge COVID-19 data, but instead she blew the whistle.

The Florida Department of Health said someone illegally hacked into its emergency alert system in November urging employees to speak up. Investigators say the IP address used in the hack came from a computer in Jones' home. 

“Our client has flatly denied that she had had any involvement in that activity,” Walters said. “IP addresses can be spoofed, they can be mimicked and masked, so it’s not the end of the story that a particular IP address is used. Our client has denied she sent the message or had any involvement in that.” 

Walters questions the investigation. 

“The timing is odd because this began after my client began speaking very critically about the governor’s COVID-19 response and after a very critical article came out in the Sun-Sentinel criticizing the governor and a cover-up and other information, which is similar to the kinds of things our client has been publishing. Oddly enough, the warrant is dated the same day that article came out,” Walters said.

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No charges have been filed at this point in connection with the allegations of someone in the Jones’ home hacking into the Florida Department of Health's emergency alert system.

Tune in to FOX 35 Orlando for the latest Central Florida news.