Polk Deputies Kill Man After Alligator Attack

On May 26, Timothy Schulz, a 42-year-old Florida man recently released from jail on methamphetamine-related charges, was fatally shot by Polk County deputies in Lakeland after a series of dangerous events. Witnesses saw Schulz behaving erratically, swimming in an alligator-infested lake where he was bitten on the arm, but he refused help. After leaving the lake, Schulz armed himself with garden shears, attempted to break into a vehicle, and charged at deputies despite their use of a Taser and commands to stop. He then tried to enter a patrol car in an attempt to seize a firearm, leading deputies to fatally shoot him. Sheriff Grady Judd described Schulz's actions as extremely dangerous and drug-induced, expressing shock at his persistence following the alligator attack. The deputies involved were unharmed and have been placed on administrative leave pending investigation.