A Florida man believed to be high on methamphetamines survived an alligator bite only to be fatally shot by police officers on Monday, authorities said.
Timothy Schulz, 42, attempted to grab a firearm out of a police vehicle in Lakeland before Polk County Sheriff’s deputies shot and killed him, Sheriff Grady Judd said at a press conference.
“I don’t know if this is a suicide by cop or a suicide by being absolutely out of your mind on methamphetamine, but he showed no fear of two deputies,” Judd told reporters. “He showed no interest in complying.”
Schulz was first reported to cops by a convenience store worker who spotted him acting erratically around 6 a.m., Judd said. However, responding officers could not initially locate him.
Shortly afterward, multiple people called about a man swimming in an alligator-filled lake. One witness said Schulz refused a life preserver and growled at another person who tried to help, according to police.
Arriving officers spotted Schulz walking out of the lake with an apparent bite injury to his arm and a pair of garden shears in his hands, Judd said. Officers gave repeated commands to Schulz to drop the sheers but he did not comply, according to the sheriff.
Despite multiple attempts to tase Schulz, he remained standing and attempted to enter a police vehicle, cops said. At that point, two officers opened fire and killed Schulz.
Police said Schulz had a lengthy criminal history, with most of his run-ins with the law involving meth.
