She dies on day to seek protect order
A newly promoted Navy chief petty officer was found dead in her Florida home the same day she was slated to appear in court for a protective order she sought against a man she claimed pulled a gun on her and assaulted her.
Officers discovered the body of Andrea Washington around midnight on Monday after receiving a call about a possible “medical emergency” at a residence in Jacksonville, Action Jax News reported. The Jacksonville Sheriff ’s Office however, suspects foul play and is investigating Washington’s death as a homicide.
The 37-year-old mother of three, a 19-year veteran of the Navy, just got pinned Friday as a chief petty officer.
Phantom McClendon, a friend and Navy colleague, said he still has the celebratory bottle of cognac he purchased for Washington.
“Right when she got pinned, I told her congratulations and ‘I’m proud of you,’ ” he told WTLV. “I knew she liked Hennessy, so I went and bought her the biggest and best bottle.”
Authorities have not released much information in the case — Washington’s cause of death remains unclear and no suspects or persons of interest have been revealed.
Earlier this month, Washington was granted a temporary order of protection against a man who she described as “someone I was living with in a relationship,” according to court documents obtained by ABC News. She claimed the man attacked her on Sept. 1 after she asked him to pay the bills.
He “pushed me down to the floor, kicked me in my stomach, chased me to the bedroom and pulled a gun on me,” she said, adding he also kicked holes in the bedroom and closet doors, took her vehicle and mailbox keys and destroyed her iPad.
Washington also said she went to the emergency room the next morning.
She was due in court hours after her body was discovered Monday, where a judge was slated to decide whether to extend her order of protection.