Florida Deputies Wounded in Shootout with Sovereign Citizen, Sheriff Says

Polk County (Florida) Sheriff Grady Judd said a man claiming to be a ‘sovereign citizen’ was killed early Saturday morning by deputies who say he opened fire on them, seriously injuring both, as they were investigating a suspicious vehicle at a county park.  

Judd says the deputy, who had a trainee with her, called for backup when a man in a white Mercedes refused to cooperate. She said the man was dressed in all in white and appeared to be in religious garb instead of street clothes, Fox 13 reports.

“Little did they realize at that moment in time that this was a sovereign citizen,” Judd said . “He was Moorish and Moorish Sovereign citizens are known to believe that federal law state law local law does not apply to them they are known to resist law enforcement and there is a history where they shoot police officers.”    

Judd says Lt. Chad Anderson and Deputy Craig Smith arrived at the scene and told the man he had to identify himself and speak with authorities, but he wouldn't. That's when, according to the sheriff, the suspect's car started rolling away. The deputies grabbed the window and the suspect opened fire, according to PCO. 

Judd said the suspect shot five times, striking Lt. Anderson in the left arm.  The bullet went through his arm and into his chest cavity, lodging between his heart and spinal column. 

Judd says Anderson was able to fire twice before he went down. 

Deputy Smith, who was shot twice in his right arm, was not able to return fire, according to Judd.

PCSO says another deputy on the scene and a K9 deputy shot at the suspect. 

"It was a gunfight. There were 38 shots fired. We hit the suspect eight times, and he was immediately deceased," Judd stated.