A Florida man was bitten by an alligator moments before he was shot dead by deputies early Monday, authorities said.
Timothy Schulz, 42, was spotted by at least two witnesses submerged in an alligator-infested lake south of Orlando just before his encounter with deputies.
Schulz “growled” when approached and reportedly refused a life vest as he treaded water with just his head out of the lake.
One witness saw an alligator bite Schulz’s arm before he emerged from the lake, grabbed gardening shears, and began stalking the neighborhood.
When deputies arrived, Schulz charged at them with the shears and ignored their orders to surrender.
“The fact that he was bitten by an alligator and still continued his rampage is shocking,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
“But if you’re on enough meth, then the person you see is not the person that’s attacking.”
Schulz was facing methamphetamine possession charges, Judd said.
Deputies tried to subdue him using a stun gun but failed as he climbed into a patrol car. Schulz was then shot dead.
“At that time, our deputies shot multiple times. As a result, Timothy is deceased,” the sheriff added.
The involved deputies will be placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into Schulz’s death.
