Convicted Felon Killed After Opening Fire On Polk Sheriff's SWAT Team

FROSTPROOF, FL — A 37-year-old man was fatally shot by sheriff's deputies opening fire on deputies after kidnapping a woman.

The Tenth Judicial Circuit Officer-Involved Deadly Incident Task Force is investigating the deputy-involved shooting that occurred in unincorporated Polk County.

The incident began in the Avon Park area of Highlands County Thursday evening when the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop an orange 2003 Nissan that ran a stop sign.

The Nissan fled from deputies who pursued the Nissan. As they neared the Polk County border, Highlands County deputies received a call from a woman who told them she was being forced to drive the car by Ramon Martinez, who was in the passenger seat.

Highlands County deputies continued to pursue him about 11 miles into Polk County until the Nissan drove off the road and got stuck on uneven ground adjacent to an orange grove on State Road 17 just north of T.S. Wilson Road in Frostproof.

The Highlands County Sheriff’s Office notified the Polk County Sheriff's Office, which responded to the scene and found the woman behind the wheel of the Nissan and Martinez in the front passenger seat.

According to Polk Sheriff Grady Judd during a news conference with Highlands County Sheriff Paul Blackman, Martinez refused to get out of the car. For 1 1/2 to two hours, an on-scene sheriff's lieutenant attempted to persuade him out of the car while Martinez smoked methamphetamine.

Martinez told the lieutenant that he had two firearms in the car, along with the woman and a baby deputies could not see. He repeatedly refused to let the woman out of the car or to surrender to deputies. And deputies overheard Martinez say to someone in the car, “Quiet down, baby. Stay under the covers. It’s OK," as if speaking to child.

During the negotiations, the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that there was actually no baby in the car and were able to positively identify the woman who was in the car against her will. They also confirmed that there was a felony warrant for Martinez' arrest for violating probation.

Judd said Martinez eventually agreed to trade weapons for some water and threw a fully loaded magazine and a handgun out of the car.

The Polk SWAT team arrived and continued negotiations, but Judd said Martinez kept smoking meth and accused deputies of being cartel members who were after him.

Negotiators eventually convinced him to allow the woman to get out of the car to retrieve a bottle of water for Martinez. As soon as she walked away from the car, deputies grabbed her and moved her to safety.

She also confirmed there was no baby in the car. She said it was a ruse to stall the deputies.

After the woman, whose relationship to Martinez was unknown at the time of the news conference, got out of the car, Martinez moved into the driver’s seat and hit the gas, attempting to get the car loose from where it was stuck.

At that time, the SWAT team threw a chemical agent into the car.

Martinez responded by shooting at SWAT team, hitting 25-year-old Deputy Samuel Yates in the shoulder and injuring his face with glass shrapnel. The SWAT team, including the injured member, returned fire, and Martinez was fatally shot.

"We shot Martinez a lot," Judd said. "We killed him graveyard dead because he asked for it, and we gave it to him. At this point, we can't even count all the rounds we shot at him. When you get in a gunfight with a SWAT team, you lose every time."

Martinez has a criminal history that includes 16 felonies and 13 misdemeanors. In 2019, he was sentenced to a year in state prison for felony battery and four years of probation after being released (his probation was due to end in 2026). The warrant was for violating probation.

Martinez’s previous arrests included burglary with battery, larceny, unarmed burglary of an occupied dwelling, trespassing, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, battery, no valid ID or driver's license, failure to appear in court, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. battery, criminal mischief, carrying a concealed weapon and selling methamphetamine.

Yates, who has been with the sheriff's office about three years, was taken to the hospital where he is expected to recover.