Florida Man Fleeing Alligator Fatally Shot After Charging Deputies With Garden Shears

A Polk County man was fatally shot by two sheriff deputies early Monday after he charged at them with garden shears and attempted to grab a firearm from a patrol vehicle, authorities said.

The incident began around 5:56 a.m. on May 26, when deputies responded to a report of a man swimming in a lake behind a residential area in Lakeland, about 35 miles east of Tampa, Florida. According to the sheriff's office, a separate 911 call had been placed about two hours earlier reporting a man near a racetrack who appeared to be "shaking" and asking people to call his son. Deputies responded to that location but were unable to locate him.

At a news conference, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said a second caller later reported seeing the same man swimming in a lake with "a lot" of alligators. The man, later identified as Timothy Schulz, was bitten on the right arm as he swam across the lake, Judd said.

According to the Miami Herald, witnesses said Schulz emerged from the lake, grabbed a pair of garden shears and tried to break into a vehicle by throwing a brick.

When deputies arrived, Judd said Schulz charged at them with the shears. The responding officers then deployed a Taser twice in an attempt to de-escalate the situation, but Schulz continued advancing and eventually jumped into the passenger seat of a patrol vehicle, where he attempted to grab a deputy's firearm.

"The fact that he was bitten by an alligator and still continued his rampage is shocking," Judd said.

At that point, the two officers opened fire, fatally shooting Schulz, Judd said.

Judd said Schulz appeared to be under the influence during the confrontation and defended the deputies' actions.

"He showed no fear of two deputies. He showed no interest in complying," Judd said.

Schulz had a history of methamphetamine-related arrests and had been released from jail on May 20, according to Judd. NBC News reported that an affidavit from that case stated a deputy found a glass pipe in Schulz's backpack that tested positive for meth.

The deputies involved have been placed on administrative leave, which Judd said is standard policy while the Florida State Attorney's Office reviews the shooting.