Polk deputy 'fraction of an inch' from death after being shot by 'sovereign citizen'

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said one of his deputies was a "fraction of an inch" from death after being shot by a self-proclaimed sovereign citizen in North Lakeland early Saturday morning, while a second deputy remains hospitalized.

Kyran Caples, a 26-year-old man who went by Kmac El Bey, was shot and killed after injuring two Polk deputies in Hunt Fountain Park. The Sheriff's Office said Caples identified with the Moorish "sovereign citizen" movement. "[Caples] shot my deputies, then we killed him. He had to know that was coming. There was a legion of deputies around him trying to get him to cooperate," Judd said at a news conference late Monday afternoon. "He chose for us to kill him. He made that decision, and we obliged."

Lt. Chad Anderson, a 26-year-veteran of the Sheriff's Office, was shot in the left arm before the bullet entered his chest cavity. Judd said the bullet lodged between Anderson's heart and spinal column. Anderson has undergone two surgeries since Saturday and remains in critical but stable condition in the intensive care unit.

"He was a fraction of an inch from being paralyzed from the waist down or killed if it went into his heart or any major arteries," Judd said. "He went down but got two shots off."

Deputy Craig Smith was shot twice in the right arm, Judd said. What was previously thought to be four wounds were the bullet's entry and exit holes. Smith's medical condition has been upgrade and he's been moved off the intensive care floor, Judd said.

What happened early Saturday morning?

Polk County Deputy Shannon Conover was patrolling the North Lakeland neighborhood on Friday night because of recent reports of burglaries in the area, Judd said. The Sheriff's Office had numerous reports of teens flipping door handles, going into unlocked cars looking for cash, credit cards and potentially guns. There had been a recent burglary of the park's concession stand.

About 12:22 a.m., Conover saw a white Mercedes Benz stopped in the parking lot after the site was closed. The deputy approached the car and Caples barely rolled the window down. Judd said he wouldn't respond to requests to provide identification or get out of the car.

Judd said Conover called for backup.

Three other units arrived on the scene, including Anderson and Smith, for a total of seven deputies. One of the other units was a K-9 team.

Anderson and Smith took lead by approaching Caples' window to ask for his identification. Caples opened fire, shooting a Springfield 9-mm XD five times, striking Anderson and Smith, Judd said.

It turned into a gunfight with Polk County deputies firing 38 shots, Judd said. Caples was hit by eight bullets and immediately pronounced dead at the scene.

Who is Caples?

Upon investigating Caples, Polk County deputies learned he was homeless, having been recently evicted from a Hillsborough County residence. Judd said Caples was asked to leave a place of business in Pinellas County last month.

In his car, Caples had two other firearms in addition to the 9-mm. Those included a Ruger 10/22 in the backseat that had been converted to an AR-15, and a 40-mm handgun was found inside a backpack. There were two loaded magazine clips in the driver's side door.

The guns were not registered to Caples, according to Judd, but it was not required under state law as he had no prior criminal record. The guns did not show any signs of being stolen.

Judd said the Sheriff's Office spoke to Caples' mother, who lives in California. She told deputies her son was studying business at Fresno State when he left. Caples' mother had not seen her son in the past three years, though she had talked with him on occasion and sent money.

What are Moorish sovereign citizens?

Caples had started identifying as a Moorish sovereign citizen under the name Kmac El Bey, according to an identification card found by deputies. The Moorish sovereign citizens are considered an anti-government extremist group founded in 1990, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Members of the group consider themselves to be sovereign and independent from federal, state and local laws.

In 2017, two different Moorish sovereign citizens shot and killed three law enforcement officers along the I-4 corridor from Orlando and Kissimmee agencies, Judd said.

He said the Sheriff's Office interacts with people who consider themselves sovereign citizens every so often, but often doesn't publicize it.

"Sometimes they are dangerous and you don't know when," he said. "There have been other occasions they are not dangerous at all, they just file paperwork."

For instance, Judd said, "They have filed an arrest warrant for me, in the Moorish world, with a $1 million bond, as well as some of my other deputies. Not this person, but other Moorish people."

Judd said had Caples identified himself to deputies, he likely could have driven off or at least been given a ride, as he had a a suspended driver's license.

"We would have said, 'Let’s get someone to give you a ride.' Probably not even given him a citation. He was not who we were looking for," the sheriff said. "We were looking for teenagers running through neighborhoods at night. He was not a target, he was not a problem until he made himself a problem."

He said the incident was shocking to Caples' mother, who was unaware of her son's whereabouts.

Donations for injured deputies

The Sheriff's Office has received several calls from people looking to help the families of the two injured deputies. Those interested can donate at www.polksheriff.org/donate and the funds will be split to help the two families cover any incidental costs related to the shooting. Donations can be earmarked for the injured deputies from a drop-down menu.

"We have two deputies who are significantly injured, critically injured and their recovery will be months and months," Judd said.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk sheriff identifies suspect who shot two deputies Saturday