Florida sheriff says deputies killed a gunman `graveyard dead' in shootout that wounded 2 officers

A Florida sheriff says 2 of his deputies are hospitalized aft being wounded successful a shootout with a antheral who opened occurrence erstwhile the officers tried to propulsion him from his car

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Two Florida sheriff's deputies were earnestly wounded and the antheral who changeable them was killed erstwhile a gunfight erupted astatine a nationalist park, according to the sheriff.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd praised his deputies arsenic heroes, saying they were changeable portion trying to propulsion an uncooperative antheral from his car aft helium refused commands to get retired connected his own. They spotted the conveyance aboriginal Saturday successful a region parkland aft it had closed for the night.

“They killed him graveyard dead,” Judd told reporters Saturday, saying preliminary accusation from investigators indicated the slain antheral changeable first.

“He asked for a gunfight, we gave him a gunfight," the sheriff said. "And he’ll ne'er beryllium successful different gunfight again, due to the fact that he’s dead."

Lt. Chad Anderson was hospitalized successful captious but unchangeable information aft a slug passed done his limb and entered his chest, Judd said. Deputy Craig Smith was successful unchangeable information successful intensive attraction aft being changeable 4 times successful the close arm, according to the sheriff.

Both deputies responded to a colleague's telephone for backup aft the antheral successful the car refused to cooperate erstwhile the workfellow tried to question him, Judd said. The sheriff's bureau had ordered other patrols successful the country due to the fact that determination had been a bid of thefts from cars.

Before the shooting began, a full of 4 deputies and 2 trainees were trying to get the antheral to exit his vehicle. Judd said Anderson and Smith were astatine the car's doorway trying to propulsion the antheral retired erstwhile the antheral pulled a weapon and opened fire, the sheriff said. The deputies fired back.

The sheriff did not instantly merchandise the sanction of the antheral killed successful the shootout.

Brian Haas, the authorities lawyer whose judicial circuit includes Polk County, said his bureau is investigating.

"We privation to determination arsenic rapidly arsenic we can, but being thorough is the astir important thing,” Haas told reporters.