SANTA ROSA COUNTY

SHERIFF'S OFFICE

Sheriff Wendell Hall

SWAT Call Out in Gulf Breeze

Yesterday morning, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office responded to a standoff situation in the 1900 Block of Church Street, which is off of East Bay Blvd.  in Gulf Breeze. At approximately 0815 hours, deputies were dispatched to that area in reference to a female being armed with a firearm. The female had threatened some neighbors with a .22 caliber rifle and some rounds were discharged into the air. The female then retreated into her home.  SWAT team and negotiators arrived at the scene to resolve the situation. The Sheriff's Office Mobile Command Center was also set up at Church St. and East Bay Blvd. Negotiators attempted to contact the female, who was identified as Esther Brown Trimmer, 49 years old. Trimmer would not answer the phone or respond to deputies who were using a PA system.  While this was occurring, deputies obtained an arrest warrant for Trimmer for felony charges resulting from the earlier incident with the firearm.  After a few hours, the decision was made to breach the front door utilizing a ram attached to the front of a " BEAR CAT ", which is an armored personnel vehicle.  This was done due to the female being armed with a rifle and not responding to deputies.  After this was done, an unidentified male came out through the front door and surrendered to deputies.  He stated that he was sleeping inside and hadn't heard the deputies outside.  He was not charged. The male subject told deputies that Trimmer was in a rear bedroom of the home. SWAT deputies then broke out the rear window to the bedroom which caused Trimmer to start communicating with deputies.  Trimmer then came towards the front door, appearing to be unarmed.  Trimmer then attempted to retreat back inside the residence, at which time she was pursued by SWAT team members and taken into custody.  Trimmer was then transported to the Santa Rosa County Jail and charged with Reckless Display of a Firearm, and Aggravated Assault. She is currently being held on NO BOND.  A photo of Trimmer is below.