Bystander at fatal shooting by deputies suing Orange County Sheriff

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — An innocent woman who said she had to duck for cover as Orange County deputies opened fire on a suspect has just filed a lawsuit against the department.

Demetres Baker said deputies shot at her as they fired more than 130 rounds at suspect Torey Breedlove at Alta Westgate Apartments in Pine Hills in January 2010.

When the shooting stopped, Breedlove, a suspected car thief, was dead.

"It was going like boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. It was ongoing," said Baker, describing the incident.

Baker filed a lawsuit claiming negligence and assault against Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings.

The lawsuit says Baker was in a stairwell when a deputy fired at her.

She recalled that moment in an attorney interview in 2010.

"When you were coming up the steps they were still shooting?" asked an unidentified man in the videotaped interview.

"They were still shooting at me," said Baker.

"This is a woman who was innocent. She had nothing to do with this," said attorney Natalie Jackson.

Jackson said she hopes the suit sends a strong message to the Sheriff's Office -- to change its policies.

"We want to deter this type of activity. We want to deter officers from opening fire, with that amount of rounds, but from opening fire in a residential neighborhood where children and parents are sleeping. People who have nothing to do with the crime," said Jackson.

Jackson told Channel 9 Eyewitness News reporter Ryan Hughes that at least two more families could file suit against the department.

A Sheriff's Office spokesman told Hughes that the department doesn't comment on pending litigation.

WFTV