A deputy-involved shooting early Monday morning in Polk County has left a man dead following a series of bizarre and violent incidents that culminated in an armed confrontation with law enforcement. According to Sheriff Grady Judd of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the deceased has been identified as 42-year-old Timothy Schulz.
The incident began around 5:56 a.m. when employees at a RaceTrac gas station on Highway 37 reported a disoriented man “shaking and asking to call his son.” Deputies responded within minutes and began searching the area, but Schulz was not immediately found.
At approximately 7:43 a.m., a second call reported a “white guy in the lake” with alligators nearby. According to witnesses, Schulz refused assistance, growled at a resident offering help, and eventually emerged from the lake holding a pair of garden shears. Sheriff Judd stated Schulz then attempted to break into a vehicle and charged deputies when they arrived.
Despite multiple attempts to deescalate the situation, including the use of tasers, Schulz continued to act aggressively. “He climbed into the passenger side of the patrol vehicle… trying to either get the rifle or the shotgun out of its holder,” Judd said. At that moment, deputies opened fire, fatally shooting him.
Schulz, who had a lengthy history of methamphetamine-related arrests, had recently been released from jail on May 20. Judd emphasized, “Quite frankly, his conduct was outrageous… you’re not going to assault feloniously our deputies.”
The shooting is now under investigation by a multi-agency task force, and the findings will be reviewed by State Attorney Brian Haas.
