Meth-crazed Florida man is bitten by alligator, charges at cops with garden shears before he's shot dead in wild series of events

New York Post

7 days ago

A meth-crazed Florida man survived getting bitten by an alligator — just to be fatally shot when he charged at cops trying to help him.
The wild scenes erupted after Timothy Schulz, 42, was spotted swimming in an alligator-infested lake in Lakeland, south of Orlando, early Monday, authorities said.
Schulz, who cops said was high on drugs, had growled at good Samaritans trying to toss him a life vest just moments before one of the gators bit his right arm.
4 Office deputies began searching for Timothy Schulz, 42, after a convenience store clerk reported he was acting strangely.
Polk County Sheriff's Office
4 Bullet holes seen in the police vehicle's windshield.
Polk County Sheriff's Office
'The fact that he was bitten by an alligator and still continued his rampage is shocking,' Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.
'But if you're on enough meth, then the person you see is not the person that's attacking.'
The horror only continued when Schulz suddenly emerged from the lake soon after being bitten and grabbed a pair of garden shears from a nearby home, authorities said.
As deputies arrived on the scene, Schulz then charged at them with the shears.
4 Inside the police vehicle after the fatal shooting.
Polk County Sheriff's Office
One of the officers fired off their stun gun in a bid to thwart Schulz — but the taser had no effect, authorities said.
'They were still trying to take him peacefully into custody,' Judd said.
The crazed man then tried to jump into the patrol vehicle and remove one of the firearms, according to authorities.
4 The Polk County Sheriff's Office discusses the incident to the press.
Polk County Sheriff's Office
'At that time our deputies shot multiple times,' the sheriff said. 'As a result, Timothy is deceased.'
Schulz, who had a lengthy drug-packed rap sheet, had only just been cut loose from the county jail on May 20 following a methamphetamine bust.
The deputies involved in the shooting will be put on administrative leave as the ordeal is investigated, the sheriff said.