By Carl Fish
POLK COUNTY – A Polk County jury has found Cheryl Williams guilty on all charges, including second-degree murder, in connection with the death of 21-year-old Deputy Sheriff Blane Lane.
Sheriff Grady Judd released a statement following the verdict:
“This suspect’s outrageous criminal actions were the cause of my deputy being killed in the line of duty, and the jury appropriately found her guilty as charged. Her family can visit her in prison, but Blane’s family has to visit his grave in a cemetery and can only have a one-sided conversation with him. We will never forget Deputy Blane Lane, and his family remains in our prayers.”
Williams, 49, was also convicted of resisting an officer without violence, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of methamphetamine.
The incident that led to the case occurred on October 4, 2022, when deputies attempted to serve an arrest warrant at a residence in Polk City after receiving a tip through Heartland Crime Stoppers. Williams, who had an extensive criminal history, was inside the home when deputies arrived. Deputies reported that she stepped into view with what appeared to be a silver handgun and pointed it at them. Two deputies fired their weapons, striking her multiple times. During the exchange, Deputy Lane, who had taken a tactical position outside, was struck by one of the bullets fired from inside. He was rushed to Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center, where he later died. The weapon Williams carried was later determined to be a realistic-looking BB gun.
The courtroom was filled with emotion as testimony and evidence were presented. Audio of the chaotic moments was played, with deputies’ voices shouting “Shots fired, shots fired!”
Deputy Lane’s mother, Shellie Lane, spoke about the pain of losing her son to WTSP. “He was doing what he was supposed to be and what he was called to do, and he’s no longer able to do that because of her actions,” she said. Struggling to contain her emotions, she added, “I’m sitting in the courtroom with a monster that initially took my kid. She still gets to breathe, and he doesn’t.”
Deputy Lane had joined the Polk County Sheriff’s Office as a detention deputy in May 2021 before becoming a deputy sheriff in January 2022. He was assigned to the Northwest District Patrol and was honored with a line-of-duty funeral following his death.
