2 Polk County Deputies Hurt, Suspect Killed In Shootout: Police

POLK COUNTY, FL — Two Polk County deputies were injured early Saturday in an overnight shootout with a lone gunman, authorities said.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the incident happened shortly before 12:30 a.m. when deputies patrolling near Hunt Fountain Park spotted a car parked in the area after it was closed.

According to Judd, a deputy approached the vehicle and asked the driver why he was in the park, but he refused to answer. He also refused to leave his vehicle when asked, Judd said.

The deputy then called for backup. At the time of the shooting, a total of 4 deputies and 2 trainees were at the park and tried to get the suspect out of the vehicle. Again, he refused, Judd said.

Authorities said the man in the car was a Moorish sovereign citizen, who are known to resist government and law enforcement.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Moorish sovereign citizen emerged in the early 1990s as an offshoot of the antigovernment sovereign Citizens movement. Members believe individual citizens hold sovereignty over and are independent of the authority of federal and state governments.

"They believe they can do what they want when they want," Judd said at a news conference Saturday.

Judd said the deputies tried to remove the man from the car, prompting him to shoot at them. Deputies returned fire and fatally shot the man.

According to Judd, Deputy Chad Anderson was shot in the arm and the bullet went into his chest. Deputy Craig Smith also suffered four gunshot wounds. As of Saturday, Anderson was in critical but stable condition and Smith was in stable condition, Judd said.

Authorities did not release the shooter's name, but Judd said he believed the man was living in his car and not from Polk County.