LAKELAND, Fla- — A 61-year-old man was shot dead by two Lakeland police officers after he allegedly flashed a gun.
The Lakeland Police Department says the shooting happened early Sunday morning around 2:15 a.m. on Interstate 4, near exit 31 at Kathleen Road. Police received a call requesting officers to respond to a suspicious vehicle parked in a construction zone on Interstate 4. Two uniform patrol officers responded to the location within minutes to investigate.
According to police, a man was sitting in a vehicle. Officers approached the vehicle and tapped on the window to speak to the driver. The man then allegedly grabbed a handgun and pointed it toward one of the officers.
Officers then shot the man dead. The 61-year-old man was pronounced deceased at the scene, and the gun was recovered. No officers were injured in the shooting. The officers who responded to the scene are Tammy Hathcock, a 15-year veteran officer with LPD, and Garrett Zeigler, a 9-year law enforcement veteran who has served with LPD for the past five months.
"Standard protocol for all officer-involved shootings will include four independent investigations. The LPD Violent Crimes unit is conducting the death investigation. LPD's Office of Professional Standards is conducting an administrative review. The State Attorney's Office responded to the scene and will conduct an investigation, and the 10th District Medical Examiner's Office will conduct an investigation. Per agency protocol, the officers involved will be on administrative leave with pay during the initial phase of the investigation."-LPD
