Polk County Sheriff detective shoots suspect who reportedly brandished gun

Rebecca Lee, The Ledger
·2 min read
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A Polk County Sheriff's Detective shot a 31-year-old man who they say brandished a handgun Thursday.

This is the third shooting of a suspect to come out of the Polk County Sheriff's Office this year.

PCSO officials said detectives were following-up on a report of a man in the Wahneta area of unincorporated Winter Haven, around 3:45 p.m., who possibly had a stolen handgun and may have also been connected with a stolen motorcycle.

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According to a release, two detectives spotted the suspect walking on Avenue A West near 17th Street West. While wearing "SHERIFF" marked vests, detectives stopped and tried to make contact with the man who is now known to be Brent Conley.

Polk County Sheriff Detective shoots 31-year-old Brent Conley in third PCS official-involved shooting this year after he pulled a gun out.
Polk County Sheriff Detective shoots 31-year-old Brent Conley in third PCS official-involved shooting this year after he pulled a gun out.

At that time, sheriff's office officials said Conley "abruptly" pulled out a hand gun.

"Fearing for their lives and safety, one of the detectives fired his handgun at

Conley to stop the threat," The sheriff's office said in a release. "The detectives then began life-saving measures on Conley and requested medical assistance from Polk County Fire Rescue."

Officials said the suspect was taken to a local hospital for treatment and was last reported to be in critical but stable condition.

Sheriff's officials said the weapon retrieved from the scene was a loaded 9 mm. .

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"When you pull a gun on my deputies, they have an obligation to protect

themselves and others, you can expect to be shot," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a prepared statement.

The sheriff's office officials said they will release more information about the ongoing investigation early next week. Meanwhile, standard protocol for all deputy-involved shootings includes three independent investigations: PCSO will conduct a criminal investigation, PCSO Administrative Investigations will conduct an administrative inquiry, and the State Attorney's Office will conduct a separate investigation.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Suspect shot by police after brandishing a gun: Polk County Sheriff