Woman shot by ex-boyfriend outside of Baker Police Station shares story to shine light on domestic violence

BAKER, La. (WAFB) - It’s been almost two years since Janice Spears cried out to God to save her life.

“I just kept asking, lord please don’t let me die. Please don’t let me die,” said Spears.

Spears was driving home with her niece shortly after midnight back in August 2021 when she ran into her ex-boyfriend Frederick Roddy.

Spears says she thought Roddy was following her, so went to confront him. In the midst of their conversation, she claims he tried to go home with her, but when she refused she became fearful for her life.

Spears says she called 911 and drove to the Baker Police Department, with Roddy chasing right behind her.

“Think about it, if you do something, you wouldn’t think somebody would come up to the police station and shoot you? I wasn’t thinking that,” said Spears.

Spears made it to the police station and told her niece to get out of the car, and that’s when she was shot.

“As she jumped out the car, I could feel the first gunshot, then I felt the second gunshot,” said Spears.

Spears says she only remembers being shot twice, but her doctors told her it was closer to six.

Spears and Roddy were together for 12 years and have two children together, but they broke up about six months prior to the shooting.

“90 percent of my stomach was destroyed. I don’t have an abdominal wall, they reconstructed my small and large intestines, doing the first initial time in the hospital they left my body open for four days. They actually weren’t looking for me to survive at all,” said Spears.

Spears says the warning signs were there, but she never thought Roddy would go this far because of their history and their two kids. He was convicted of attempted murder in March.

She hopes sharing her story will help shine a light on domestic violence.”

A lot of women be afraid to talk about what’s going on inside the house, but I think we need to break through that,” said Spears.

She was left permanently scarred and disfigured, but she still found some forgiveness for Roddy.

”I honestly forgive him. I actually prayed on that as I was in the hospital and everything and I think that was my sense or way of going on with my life. You can question why this happened, but I’ll never get that answer of why did this happen,” said Spears. 

Spears still has a long road to recovery and has another surgery coming up.

She credits her faith for keeping her alive this long.

”I went through and still go through a lot of struggles, but I just keep pushing,” said Spears.

Roddy’s sentencing is set for May 11.

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