Man shot and killed by Florida sheriff’s deputies in confrontation after apparent alligator attack

A person believed to be on medication 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 mentioned.

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

“That is simply loopy stuff, OK?” Judd mentioned. “You realize that it is received to be true, you’ll be able to’t make it up.”

Schulz had a protracted historical past of drug-related arrests, Judd mentioned. He had been launched from jail final Tuesday after being arrested for possession of meth, in response to 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 mentioned. 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 mentioned. One witness tried to present him a life preserver, and one other tried to talk with him however acquired a growl in response, in response to the sheriff.

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

“The truth that he was bitten by an alligator, considerably, and nonetheless continued his rampage is surprising,” Judd mentioned. “However if you happen to’re on sufficient meth, then the individual you see shouldn’t be the person who’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 exterior, Judd mentioned. Schulz then tried to interrupt right into a automobile with a brick.

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

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

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

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

The incident is below investigation, Judd mentioned. The deputies have been positioned on routine administrative go away throughout the preliminary phases of the investigation.