LAKELAND, Fla. — Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said two of his deputies are alive "by the grace of God" after a deadly shootout with a gunman over the weekend.
It began just before 12:30 a.m. Saturday, when Deputy Conover was patrolling Lakeland's Hunt Fountain Park — an area that's seen recent reports of teen burglaries.
The deputy noticed a man sitting in a white Mercedes Benz and asked him why he was there. He reportedly refused to respond or get out of the car.
“She noticed that he was dressed all in white as if he were in some kind of religious or cult garb. He certainly wasn’t in normal street clothes, so she called for backup," Sheriff Grady Judd said at a news conference on Monday.
Seven deputies, including a trainee, arrived at the scene. Lieutenant Chad Anderson and Deputy Craig Smith approached the man's car.
Judd said the man tried to drive away, so deputies grabbed the car window. That's when the suspect started shooting, according to the sheriff.
Anderson was shot in his left arm, and the bullet continued into his chest cavity, lodging between his heart and spinal column. The sheriff said Anderson was "fractions of an inch" away from being paralyzed or killed.
Smith was shot twice in his right arm.
Other responding deputies returned fire, and a shootout ensued. In total, Judd said 38 shots were fired.
"We hit the suspect eight times and he was immediately deceased," the sheriff said.
Anderson has undergone two surgeries and remains in critical condition. Smith is also at the hospital and continuing to recover.
“Let me introduce you to our suspect that tried to murder my deputies," Judd said before identifying the man as a 26-year-old Moorish Sovereign Citizen who went by the name Kmac El Bey. His given name is Kyran Caples.
Detectives spoke with El Bey's mother who said her son was radicalized while attending California State University, Fresno. According to Judd, the suspect's mother is in shock and plans to meet with Polk County deputies to apologize for her son's actions.
El Bey did not have a criminal history and was able to own guns legally. Three different firearms, including a converted AR-15-style rifle and a handgun, were reportedly found in his car.
Judd said he isn't sure why El Bey "tried to murder" the deputies but explained that the Moorish community has a history of violence toward law enforcement.
“The Moorish reject federal, state and local law. They don’t have to obey it. They’re extremist, they’re anti-government, they have a potential for violence toward law enforcement," he said. "[El Bey] was not a problem until he made himself a problem."
Those interested in contributing to the deputies' recovery can visit Polksheriff.org/donate.