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The funeral for Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy Blane Lane, who was shot while serving a search warrant early Tuesday morning, is scheduled for Tuesday, October 11, at 10 a.m. at Victory Church in Lakeland.
Law enforcement honors, including a helicopter flyover, taps, a bagpipe, and a three-shot volley, will take place outside the church immediately following the church service.
There will be no public viewing or graveside service.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office and Victory Church will live-stream the service on their Facebook pages and web sites.
Lane’ mother, Shellie Lane, said Friday in a Facebook private message that her son “was the most amazing kid with such a vibrant smile and full heart. He loved his little girl more than anything in this world.”
In addition to his mother, Lane is survived by his 3-year-old daughter, Kate, his father, Wayne, sister Maddix, grandparents Darrel and Debbie Sodders and Kathy Stader, and his extended family and friends.
The shooting happened at about 3 a.m. Tuesday, when four deputies arrived at a mobile home on Foxtown South Road west of Polk City after learning that 46-year-old Cheryl Williams was there. She was wanted on a felony charge of failing to appear in court on felony methamphetamine charges.
According to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, three deputies were invited into the home, but were not warned by two men they encountered, one at the front door and the other at the back door, that Williams had armed herself with a BB pistol that looks nearly identical to a 9 mm pistol. Judd gave this account of the incident at a Tuesday news conference:
Sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Brooks, a supervisor, and Deputies Johnny Holsonback III and Adam Pennell began searching the house, walking through what Judd described as a maze as they went from room to room. A Bible, open to 2 Kings, Chapters 20 and 21, a light beer and a meth pipe were lying on one bed.
Lane remained outside, watching the front door in case Williams ran out. As he was trained to do, he took up a tactical position where he could see the door and a set of windows, but also take cover behind a refrigerator on the front porch if a shootout began.
Inside the home, Williams stepped out of her hiding place in what Judd described as a game room and pointed the silver handgun at Holsonback and Brooks. Both men pulled out their service pistols and fired.
Outside, one bullet fired by one of the deputies had gone through the thin metal wall of the mobile home and struck Lane in the left shoulder. He was rushed to Lakeland Regional Medical Center, where he died.
Williams is now charged with second degree murder of a law enforcement officer. Even though Williams did not fire the fatal shot, local officials say Florida Statute 782.04 allows that charge because the shooting happened while she was allegedly committing the felony of resisting arrest with violence and is punishable by up to life in prison.
The family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to Polk Sheriff’s Charities, Inc., in memory of Lane. Please visit http://www.polksheriff.org/donate and in the dropdown menu, select “To PSCI in lieu of flowers in memory of Deputy Sheriff Blane Lane.”
Anyone wishing to make a monetary donation to the Lane family may do so through Polk Sheriff’s Charities, Inc. Please visit http://www.polksheriff.org/donate and in the dropdown menu, select “To the Family of Deputy Sheriff Blane Lane.”
Donations can also be made by check, and mailed to:
Polk Sheriff’s Charities
c/o Polk County Sheriff’s Office
1891 Jim Keene Blvd.
Winter Haven, FL 33880
Kimberly C. Moore is an award-winning reporter and a Lakeland native. She can be reached at kimberly@lkldnow.com or 863-272-9250.
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