Latest news with #GradyJudd
Fox News
20 hours ago
- General
- Fox News
Trump immigration enforcement hampered by detention capacity, Florida sheriff warns
A Florida sheriff said law enforcement is "waiting at go" to assist the Trump administration with immigration enforcement, but worries about the lack of detention capacity. Fox News Digital spoke with Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd on the current status of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. "We heard President Trump loud and clear when he said start with the worst first, and let's get these illegal aliens out of the country," Judd said. However, the sheriff pointed to a significant bottleneck: the lack of federal capacity to detain migrants, and that, despite arrests, "they're turned [migrants] back into the street" due to ICE's limited resources. Judd pointed to the lack of holding facilities and the complications arising from federal rules, which generally prevent local jails from holding migrants for more than 48 hours after their release from local custody unless the jails have Intergovernmental Service Agreements (IGSAs) that allow for longer detention under federal authority. "You see, county jails can hold them [migrants] short term if we have accompanying criminal charges, but we can't hold them long term," he said. "We're more than willing to do that with the federal government once the federal government recognizes that we're helping them — they're not helping us." WATCH: The need for additional detention space and resources came as the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) became the first in the nation to train and deploy troopers under the federal 287(g) agreement, which authorizes designated state officers to enforce immigration law in partnership with federal agents. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says the initiative is already delivering results and believes it could serve as a blueprint for other states seeking to take immigration enforcement into their own hands. Judd called for federal executive action, saying, "The president is the only one that can break this logjam." The Sunshine State, he said, is prepared to execute practical solutions, such as setting up temporary "soft side housing" for detainees, modeled after hurricane emergency shelters. "We're eager to make it happen. We're sitting on go," he said, while criticizing the lack of support. "The federal government doesn't have the infrastructure to hold them, nor are they willing to pay when we offer the infrastructure." Judd defended ICE personnel, acknowledging their efforts despite what he describes as inherited limitations from the previous Biden administration. "But they are limited," he said. "They're severely limited because they're operating with the resources that the Biden administration left them with. And the Biden administration wasn't into deporting people. They were into importing people." The sheriff said stricter detention policies will serve as a deterrent for migrants. "We've got to stop the game playing, and only the federal government can do it," he said. Fox News Digital has reached out to ICE for comment.
Fox News
2 days ago
- General
- Fox News
Florida man shot by deputies after alligator attack, charging officers with garden shears
Print Close By Greg Wehner Published May 27, 2025 Polk County, Florida Sheriff Grady Judd said deputies shot and killed a man who charged deputies with garden shears and tried to grab a gun from a patrol vehicle, all after he was attacked by an alligator while swimming across a lake. Judd told reporters on Monday that 42-year-old Timothy Shultz was shot and killed after threatening to harm his deputies earlier in the day. Deputies responded to reports at about 6 a.m. on Monday of a man who was at a Racetrack who was acting "bizarre" and "shaking," while asking to call his son. When deputies arrived, they searched for the man for about 40 minutes without success. Then, just before 7:45 a.m., a caller said there was a white guy in a nearby lake that is filled with alligators, with one alligator near the man. The caller told the operator the man "must be drunk or high or something," Judd said. FLORIDA WOMAN ESCAPES STORAGE CONTAINER SHE WAS BEING HELD IN AFTER BRUTAL ASSAULT: SHERIFF Deputies learned one witness tried to give the man, later identified as Shultz, a life preserver, though he would not take it. Another witness tried to speak with Shultz, but told deputies he growled at the witness, so they ran into the house and locked the door. When deputies arrived, Shultz was seen walking from the lake to an area between houses while holding a set of garden shears. He also reportedly tried to break into a truck by throwing a brick into the vehicle. TEXAS MAN CALLS 911 AFTER INJURING HIMSELF DURING ALLEGED CAR DEALERSHIP BREAK-IN Investigators spoke to one witness who was walking her dog at the time, and she said the man charged at deputies while holding the shears. Judd told reporters the woman questioned why deputies waited so long to shoot, but the sheriff said his deputies were trying to de-escalate the situation. "We also tried to tase him on two different occasions, and he continued to charge at them," Judd said, adding that deputies backed up and told Shultz to throw the shears down. FLORIDA MAN NABBED ALLEGEDLY TRYING TO OUTRUN TROOPERS WHILE WEARING DALMATIAN ONESIE Eventually, Shultz climbed into the passenger side of a patrol vehicle that was running, Judd said. Shultz also allegedly tried to grab a rifle or the shotgun out of its holder, and at that moment, the deputies shot him multiple times and killed him. "It's important to focus on this for a second: He tried to assault my deputies with shears," Judd said. "Then he jumped into their vehicle, which is an armed burglary with shears. Trying to get the rifle and or the shotgun out at that moment in time, all the warnings had to stop, and the action had to begin, and that's when they shot him enough to stop the threat." Judd told reporters Shultz's criminal record is "long," adding that he had multiple methamphetamine arrests. He also said Shultz was released from jail on May 20. NEIGHBORS' DISPUTE ESCALATES WHEN FLORIDA MAN ALLEGEDLY SLASHES WOMAN WITH KNIFE "I've said this over and over, and I'll continue to say it: There are still people that want to make the community, or the nation, believe that drugs are low level and nonviolent," he said. "Well, here's your sign." Judd said Shultz was swimming across the lake and got really close to an alligator, appearing to be bitten by an alligator in his right arm. "You know, that's gotta be true. You can't make it up, and, as a result, this is one more example of how violent people are when they use meth and use drugs," Judd said. "When you can swim across the lake, sustain apparent alligator bites, grab shears, try to break into a vehicle, attack law enforcement officers, jump into their car, try to get their rifle and shotgun…you're out of your mind on drugs. And it's not his first time. He's dead." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "Quite frankly, his conduct was outrageous…it was bizarre," the sheriff added. "Our deputies, by the way, are going home safe tonight." Print Close URL
New York Times
2 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Bitten by Alligator, Man Is Killed After Charging at Deputies, Sheriff Says
Early on Memorial Day, a Florida man was bitten by an alligator as he swam across a lake. Bleeding from a bite to his right arm but undeterred, he climbed out, grabbed a pair of garden shears and walked into a gated neighborhood, alarming residents, according to local authorities. Within minutes, the man, Timothy Schulz, 42, of Mulberry, Fla., was dead — shot by sheriff's deputies after, they say, he charged at them with the shears, failed to be subdued by a stun gun and tried to grab either a shotgun or rifle from their cruiser. 'The fact that he was bitten by an alligator significantly and continued on his rampage was shocking,' the Polk County sheriff, Grady Judd, said at a news conference on Monday. 'This is just crazy stuff. You know it's got to be true. You can't make it up.' In fact, Mr. Schulz had started acting strangely at least two hours before the fatal encounter in Lakeland, Fla., according to the sheriff's office, which pieced together the events leading up to his death using 911 calls and witness statements from residents of the neighborhood who tried to help Mr. Schulz in his final moments. Sheriff Judd also said that Mr. Schulz had a lengthy criminal history, which he described as 'meth arrest, meth arrest, meth arrest, meth arrest, meth arrest.' The events on Monday began before 6 a.m., when an employee at RaceTrac gas station off Highway 37 called the sheriff's office to report a man inside who was acting bizarre — shaking and asking to call his son, Sheriff Judd said. Deputies arrived within three minutes and searched the premises until about 6:39 a.m., but the man, later identified as Mr. Schulz, had vanished, the sheriff said. At 7:43 a.m., a resident in a Polk County neighborhood called the sheriff's office to say that a man was in a lake known to have alligators in it, and that the man was treading water near one of the broad-snouted reptiles. The man, later identified as Mr. Schulz, had entered the lake near the gas station and begun swimming toward Lakeland Court, a gated community, authorities say. 'It's a long swim,' Sheriff Judd said. 'And he was gator-bitten along the way.' Several people saw Mr. Schulz treading water, and one tried to throw Mr. Schulz a life vest but he refused to use it, the sheriff said. Another person who tried to help said that Mr. Schulz growled at him. Then Mr. Schulz, bloodied, emerged from the lake, crossing between houses, Sheriff Judd said. Witnesses told deputies he was trying to break into a vehicle and carrying a pair of garden shears. One person said that Mr. Schulz immediately charged at deputies with the shears when they arrived, Sheriff Judd said. Deputies commanded Mr. Schulz to drop the shears. They twice tried to subdue him by discharging a Taser but, according to Sheriff Judd, it had no effect. Then came the final escalation. Mr. Schulz climbed into the passenger seat of a sheriff's office cruiser and tried to remove either a rifle or a shotgun from its holder, the authorities said. At that moment, the two deputies, including a trainee, opened fire, killing Mr. Schulz. 'He was bizarre,' Sheriff Judd said. 'Our deputies, by the way, are going home safe tonight.' Mr. Schulz had previously been arrested on a charge of possession of methamphetamine on April 16, the authorities said. He was released on May 20. The investigation into what happened on Memorial Day is continuing, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, which said that it was awaiting the results of an autopsy and toxicology reports.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Florida man was bitten by alligator in lake then shot by deputies, sheriff says
A Florida man was shot and killed by sheriff's deputies after he was bitten by an alligator during an early morning dip in a lake, then threatened the officers with garden shears as he attempted to enter their patrol vehicle, the sheriff said. Photos posted to social media by deputies in Polk county showed the aftermath of Monday's fatal, exceptionally chaotic events in Lakeland that ended with Timothy Schulz, 42, dead in what Grady Judd, the sheriff, called a 'rampage'. The images showed the officers' vehicle with a shattered windshield from multiple gunshots – and the shears on the passenger seat surrounded by shards of broken glass. Schulz received a bite on his right arm during his swim at a gated community lake with several alligators, Judd told a press conference, reported by CBS News. He was believed to be high on methamphetamine, the sheriff added. Deputies were earlier called to a nearby convenience store by a worker who reported a man acting strangely, shaking, and asking to call his son – but the person had disappeared by the time the members of the sheriff's office arrived. Judd said that about two hours later, at 7:43am, residents of the gated community called to report he was in the lake. He then emerged with a bloodied arm, picked up the shears that a neighbor had left in their yard, and attempted to smash a car window with a brick. When deputies arrived for the second time, Judd said, Schulz charged their vehicle while waving the shears, and tried to snatch their weapons, forcing them to fire. 'This is just crazy stuff, OK? You know that it's got to be true – you can't make it up,' said Judd, who added that his officers had twice tried to subdue the suspect with a stun gun. 'The fact that he was bitten by an alligator, significantly, and still continued his rampage is shocking,' Judd remarked. 'But if you're on enough meth, then the person you see is not the person that's attacking.' Neither of the responding officers was injured. Schulz has a history of drug-related arrests and was released on 20 May from a prison sentence for the possession of meth, the sheriff's office said in a social media post.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Sheriff reveals 26 illegal migrants not on federal 'radar' among 255 arrested in Florida sex-trafficking sting
A multi-level operation, aptly named "Fool Around and Find Out," nabbed 255 suspected human traffickers, child sex predators and illegal migrants in Central Florida. The Polk County, Florida, operation, conducted over nine days in May, resulted in the arrest of the highest number of individuals ever recorded in a single sting by the sheriff's office. Sheriff Grady Judd told Fox News Digital that the operation was a coordinated effort with multiple law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which was embedded for the first time with the Central Florida department. "We made a lot of arrests. Our team preps in advance. We know what places to go on social media to find those evil people or to set up for them to come to us, so they did a remarkable job." Florida Sheriff Asks Trump's Ice To Remove Biden-era 'Shackles' One of the most startling revelations from the operation was 36 illegal migrants apprehended. Judd said 26 of them had not checked in with federal authorities, making them untraceable until this operation. Read On The Fox News App "Twenty-six of them were not even on the federal government's radar," he said. "They had snuck in the country and did not check in." The migrants arrested account for approximately 15% of the total, and Judd argued that their absence could have prevented that same amount of crime. "If those illegal immigrants weren't here in this country, then there would have been 15% less crime committed," he said. WATCH: Former NFL player arrested in Florida human trafficking bust The operation also revealed a cross-section of suspects from all walks of American life. Among those arrested were a medical doctor, an executive from the American Red Cross, active and retired military personnel, and even a former NFL player, Adarius Taylor. Prior to retirement in 2020, Taylor played for the Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns. Judd recounted that the ex-NFL player left his young, medically vulnerable child alone in a car while he allegedly sought sexual favors from an undercover officer posing as a prostitute. Another suspect allegedly visited the operation while his wife was battling cancer at home. "Are you kidding me?" Judd exclaimed. "Your wife is being treated for cancer. And at a time in her life where she needs you the most, you're turning out a trick with a hooker at an undercover location? That is incredible. There were all kinds of occasions, just like that." Detectives charged a total of 102 felonies and 284 misdemeanors during the investigation. The suspects' prior criminal histories included a combined total of 400 felonies and 519 misdemeanors, with charges such as premeditated murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, robbery, aggravated battery and sexual assault. "The online prostitution industry enables traffickers and allows for the continued victimization of those who are being trafficked," Judd said in a release following the sting. "Our goal is to identify victims, offer them help, and arrest those who are fueling the exploitation of human beings (Johns) and those profiting from the exploitation of human beings. Prostitution is not a victimless crime – it results in exploitation, disease, drug and alcohol addiction, violence, and broken families." Florida Man Impersonates Ice Agent, Threatens To Deport 2 Men, Police Say Judd said Polk County has a zero-tolerance stance on criminal activity. "This is not the last one. This is just the last one. There's going to be another one, and another one and another one." Judd's message is clear: those who come to Florida with criminal intent will not remain in the shadows and will be publicly held accountable. "Florida is the vacation state. People come from all around the world with their children," he said. "We want to make sure that it's a safe environment, and it is." "If you think you're gonna sneak here and, 'Hey, what goes on in Florida stays in Florida', that's wrong," he said. " I'll put you on blast all across the nation, and that's a guarantee."Original article source: Sheriff reveals 26 illegal migrants not on federal 'radar' among 255 arrested in Florida sex-trafficking sting
