LAKELAND, Fla. – Two Florida sheriff’s deputies were gravely injured during a confrontation with a man at a public park, resulting in the man’s death, as reported by the county sheriff. The incident unfolded when the deputies attempted to remove the uncooperative man from his car after he defied orders to exit on his own accord. The encounter occurred in the early hours of Saturday in a county park that had closed for the night.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd commended his deputies for their heroism in the face of danger, mentioning that they were shot while trying to handle the resistant individual. According to preliminary information provided by investigators, the man who was killed fired the first shot in the exchange.
Describing the series of events, Sheriff Judd stated, “He asked for a gunfight, we gave him a gunfight. And he’ll never be in another gunfight again, because he’s dead.” Lieutenant Chad Anderson sustained critical but stable wounds after a bullet pierced his arm and chest, while Deputy Craig Smith was listed in stable condition in intensive care after being shot multiple times in the right arm.
Both deputies had responded to a call for backup from a colleague who was unable to coax the man out of the vehicle for questioning. The sheriff’s office had bolstered patrols in the area due to a spate of car thefts leading up to the incident.
Before the shootout ensued, a group of four deputies and two trainees were attempting to coax the man out of his car. Lieutenant Anderson and Deputy Smith were stationed at the vehicle’s door when the man whipped out a gun and initiated gunfire, prompting the deputies to fire back in defense.
The sheriff refrained from disclosing the name of the deceased individual involved in the altercation, citing an ongoing investigation being conducted by State Attorney Brian Haas. Haas emphasized the importance of a thorough investigation, prioritizing accuracy over expediency.