Overview

• Authorities had been searching for 42-year-old Timothy Schulz, released May 20 on a methamphetamine possession charge, following reports of erratic behavior at a Lakeland convenience store.
• Around 7:45 a.m., witnesses saw Schulz swimming among alligators in a residential lake, refusing a life preserver and growling after an apparent bite to his arm.
• After emerging from the water, Schulz picked up garden shears and allegedly tried to break into a vehicle before deputies arrived on scene.
• Officers attempted de-escalation and deployed a Taser twice before Schulz climbed into their running patrol cruiser and reached for a rifle, prompting two deputies to open fire.
• The 10th Judicial Circuit’s Officer Involved Deadly Incident Task Force and PCSO’s Administrative Investigations Unit have launched a review, with the deputies on administrative leave and a State Attorney evaluation to follow.