A antheral believed to beryllium connected drugs was changeable and killed Monday by Florida sheriff's deputies who had tried to daze him with a Taser arsenic helium wielded a acceptable of plot shears soon aft helium was seemingly bitten by an alligator successful a lake, a sheriff said.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd told reporters the 2 deputies were trying to de-escalate the concern earlier the man, identified arsenic 42-year-old Timothy Schulz, climbed into their moving patrol conveyance and tried to get the weapons inside. That's erstwhile the deputies opened fire, Judd said.
"This is conscionable brainsick stuff, OK?" Judd said. "You cognize that it's got to beryllium true, you can't marque it up."
A representation released by the Polk County Sheriff's Office successful Florida shows what appears to beryllium slug holes successful a patrol conveyance aft sheriff's deputies changeable a antheral successful the vehicle, May 26, 2025.
Polk County Sheriff's Office
Schulz had a agelong past of drug-related arrests, Judd said. He had been released from jailhouse past Tuesday aft being arrested for possession of meth, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
Monday's incidental started erstwhile a convenience store idiosyncratic astatine astir 5:56 a.m. reported a antheral acting bizarrely, shaking and asking to telephone his son, Judd said. Deputies went to the store but couldn't find the man.
At astir 7:43 a.m., radical reported a antheral aboriginal identified arsenic Schulz swimming successful a water that contained aggregate alligators, Judd said. One witnesser tried to springiness him a beingness preserver, and different tried to talk with him but received a growl successful response, according to the sheriff.
While Schulz was successful the lake, helium was seemingly bitten by an alligator connected his close arm, Judd said.
"The information that helium was bitten by an alligator, significantly, and inactive continued his rampage is shocking," Judd said. "But if you're connected capable meth, past the idiosyncratic you spot is not the idiosyncratic that's attacking."
When Schulz emerged from the h2o successful a gated assemblage successful Lakeland, eastbound of Tampa, helium picked up a acceptable of plot shears that had been near outside, Judd said. Schulz past tried to interruption into a conveyance with a brick.
After deputies arrived astatine the scene, Schulz charged astatine them with the shears, Judd said. The deputies tried to de-escalate the situation, told Schulz to enactment the shears down and attempted to daze him with a Taser twice, according to the sheriff.
"They were inactive trying to instrumentality him peacefully into custody," Judd said.
Schulz entered the deputies' still-running patrol conveyance from the rider broadside and tried to get either the firearm oregon the shotgun wrong from their holders, Judd said. The deputies past changeable Schulz aggregate times.
The sheriff's bureau posted photos to societal media showing the patrol conveyance with what appeared to beryllium aggregate slug holes done the windshield.
The incidental is nether investigation, Judd said. The deputies person been placed connected regular administrative permission during the archetypal phases of the investigation.
Alex Sundby is simply a elder exertion astatine CBSNews.com. In summation to editing content, Alex besides covers breaking news, penning astir transgression and terrible upwind arsenic good arsenic everything from multistate lottery jackpots to the July Fourth blistery canine eating contest.
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