POLK COUNTY, Fla. – An active shooter situation ended with a gunman shot and killed by deputies on Friday in Lakeland.
56-year-old Michael Alan Loman of 3925 Combee Road, North, Lakeland, was shot and killed by Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies after he refused to drop a rifle that he had been shooting inside and outside his home.
According to deputies, Loman’s wife called 911 because her husband Michael was shooting his rifle inside and outside the home, in a residential mobile home park, and had threatened to kill her.
Investigators say he also threatened “suicide by cop” if deputies came to the residence, and threatened to kill responding deputies.
During the 911 call, a gunshot was heard by dispatchers.
A witness in the neighborhood told deputies he heard a bullet passing near where he was standing while Loman was shooting outside his residence.
While Ms. Loman was still on 911 as deputies were en route, Mr. Loman came back into the residence saying he needed to reload and went back towards the bedroom–Ms. Loman then exited the home. Soon thereafter, deputies arrived (at approximately 6:18 p.m.) and directed Ms. Loman away from the home to safety.
While the deputies were there, Mr. Loman came out on the front porch brandishing a rifle. Deputies told Loman to drop the rifle multiple times.
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He did not. Mr. Loman was shot by deputies and died at the scene at approximately 6:22 p.m.
When asked by a reporter Friday, whether or not there was time to negotiate with the gunman, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd replied, “When you’ve already engaged as an active shooter, and who has shot at people and shot in the house and threatened to kill your wife and threat to kill the deputies and you brandish your firearm in the direction of the deputies, they’re going to shoot you, shoot you a lot.”
“That’s what they’re trained to do. That’s what they’re instructed to do. They’re not going to set there and hold a conversation with a guy with a firearm. It’s too late, too bad for him. It says choice. He chose for us to shoot him and we accommodated his request,” Judd added.
Five deputies were on the scene; four deputies fired their weapons, AR-15’s, at Loman.
No deputies and no one else were injured in the incident. According to deputies, Loman’s wife told deputies he had been drinking earlier in the day.
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