A wanted man was shot dead by Polk County deputies after he allegedly charged at one of them with a knife, authorities said.
Deputies were looking for 37-year-old John Snyder for burglary and theft warrants when they located him just before midnight Friday near Harvey’s Supermarket in Lakeland.
A deputy tased Snyder as he attempted to run away, but the man refused to drop the knife and charged at the deputy.
Sheriff Grady Judd says the police-involved shooting is the third Friday in a row that his deputies had to shoot a suspect.
“Don’t attack my deputies. Don’t try and stab or shoot my deputies, because if you do, we’re going to shoot you a lot. That’s a guarantee,” the sheriff said.
“You ask for it, you make that choice, we’re going to defend ourselves.”
