A 42-year-old Florida man, Timothy Schulz, was high on drugs while he swam in a lake filled with alligators, as per police. Despite being bitten, he managed to survive. However, he would then charge police officers with garden shears, causing him to be fatally shot as a result.
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According to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, who gave details about the incident during a Monday, May 26, morning press conference, the incident took place earlier on Monday at a Lakeland lake.
Judd revealed that Schulz had been swimming in the lake, with many witnesses attempting to help the man out of the water. Instead of accepting their help, Schulz growled at them. Reportedly, Schulz was high on drugs at the time. Moments later, he was bitten by one of the alligators present in the lake.
Despite suffering a considerable injury to his right arm, Schulz shocked everyone present at the scene by emerging from the lake. He would then grab some garden shears from a neighboring home. As deputies arrived at the scene, Schulz decided to charge at them with the scissors.
In an attempt to take him out in a non-fatal way, one of the deputies used a stun gun. However, Schulz showed no reaction to the tens of thousands of volts running through his body. Instead, the drug-crazed man chose to jump inside a patrol vehicle. Judd stated that Schulz attempted to grab a rifle or a shotgun once inside.
At that moment, deputies shot Timothy Schulz multiple times, fatally striking him.
Incident Under Investigation
Currently, the incident is under investigation, with the two deputies being placed on standard administrative leave. According to Judd, one of the deputies was still in training, and he praised both officers.
He also addressed how Schulz was able to continue his drug-fueled rampage despite being bitten by an alligator.
“He swam a long way across this lake. And the fact that he was bitten by an alligator significantly and still continued his rampage is shocking,” Judd said during the press conference. “But if you’re on enough meth, then the person you see is not the person attacking.”
As reported by PEOPLE, Timothy Schulz has an extensive criminal history. His most recent offense involved him getting arrested for possession of meth. He was arrested in April 2025 and released on May 20, six days before the aforementioned incident took place.