Man shot and killed by Florida sheriff’s deputies in confrontation after obvious alligator assault

A person believed to be on medicine was shot and killed Monday by Florida sheriff’s deputies who had tried to shock him with a Taser as he wielded a set of backyard shears shortly after he was apparently bitten by an alligator in a lake, a sheriff stated.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd informed reporters the 2 deputies have been making an attempt to de-escalate the scenario earlier than the person, recognized as 42-year-old Timothy Schulz, climbed into their operating patrol car and tried to get the weapons inside. That is when the deputies opened hearth, Judd stated.

“That is simply loopy stuff, OK?” Judd stated. “You already know that it is received to be true, you possibly can’t make it up.”

Schulz had an extended historical past of drug-related arrests, Judd stated. He had been launched from jail final Tuesday after being arrested for possession of meth, based on the Polk County Sheriff’s Workplace.

Monday’s incident began when a comfort retailer employee at about 5:56 a.m. reported a person appearing bizarrely, shaking and asking to name his son, Judd stated. Deputies went to the shop however could not discover the person.

At about 7:43 a.m., individuals reported a person later recognized as Schulz swimming in a lake that contained a number of alligators, Judd stated. One witness tried to provide him a life preserver, and one other tried to talk with him however obtained a growl in response, based on the sheriff.

Whereas Schulz was within the lake, he was apparently bitten by an alligator on his proper arm, Judd stated.

“The truth that he was bitten by an alligator, considerably, and nonetheless continued his rampage is surprising,” Judd stated. “However when you’re on sufficient meth, then the particular person you see is just not the individual that’s attacking.”

When Schulz emerged from the water in a gated neighborhood in Lakeland, east of Tampa, he picked up a set of backyard shears that had been left outdoors, Judd stated. Schulz then tried to interrupt right into a car with a brick.

After deputies arrived on the scene, Schulz charged at them with the shears, Judd stated. The deputies tried to de-escalate the scenario, informed Schulz to place the shears down and tried to shock him with a Taser twice, based on the sheriff.

“They have been nonetheless making an attempt to take him peacefully into custody,” Judd stated.

Schulz entered the deputies’ still-running patrol car from the passenger aspect and tried to get both the rifle or the shotgun inside from their holders, Judd stated. The deputies then shot Schulz a number of occasions.

The sheriff’s workplace posted pictures to social media exhibiting the patrol car with what gave the impression to be a number of bullet holes by the windshield.

The incident is underneath investigation, Judd stated. The deputies have been positioned on routine administrative depart through the preliminary phases of the investigation.