Deputies shoot, kill ‘bizarre’ armed man minutes after apparent gator attack in lake
The Brief
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Polk County deputies shot Timothy Schulz, 42, on Monday morning, according to Sheriff Grady Judd.
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PCSO says Schulz swam across a lake before deputies arrived, then charged at deputies with garden shears before trying to take a gun from a patrol vehicle.
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Schulz died while the deputies were not injured, according to Judd.
LAKELAND, Fla. – Sheriff Grady Judd says Polk County deputies shot and killed an armed man who was attacked by an alligator while swimming across a lake, then charged at the deputies with a pair of garden shears before trying to grab a gun from a patrol vehicle.
Timeline
Judd says deputies got a call from the RaceTrac off SR 37 shortly before 6 a.m. Monday, with the caller telling dispatchers that a man was acting “bizarre” and “asking to call his son.” Deputies searched for him, but he had left the scene.
Nearly two hours later, at 7:43 a.m., according to Judd, another caller said a man was swimming in a lake that’s known to have a lot of gators. A witness told PCSO that they tried to give the man a life preserver, but he wouldn’t take it.
Judd says that when deputies arrived, the man – later identified as Timothy Schulz, 42 – had gotten out of the water and grabbed a pair of garden shears, then used a brick to try and break into a vehicle in the area in the area of West Lake Clark Court near Lakeland.
Schulz charged at the deputies while carrying the shears, according to Judd, at which point he was tased twice. Judd says Schulz then climbed into the passenger side of a running patrol vehicle and tried to grab a gun from its holder.
That’s when Judd says deputies opened fire multiple times, killing Schulz.
No deputies were injured, according to Judd.
What they’re saying
At a news conference on Monday, Judd said it appeared that Schulz’s right arm had been bitten by a gator while he was in the lake.
“His conduct was outrageous. It was bizarre,” Judd said.
Judd added that Schulz has a long criminal history consisting of many arrests for meth, and he had just gotten out of jail on May 20.
“This is crazy stuff. You know it’s got to be true. You can’t make it up,” Judd said.
READ: Polk County Deputy allegedly assaulted by illegal Venezuelan national during traffic stop: Officials
Local perspective
A neighbor nearby who only wanted to be identified by his first name, Steve, said he heard gunshots and jumped out of bed. When he opened the garage door, he said he saw two deputies pulling the suspect from the car and onto the pavement.
“They were just doing their job and defending themselves,” said Steve. “It was quite a traumatic event. I’ve been to some in my career in the past and this one pretty well tops it.”
What’s next
The deputies involved in the shooting are on administrative leave during the investigation.
The Source
This story was written with information from a news conference on May 26, 2025.
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