Ten Rocks Mobile Home Park location

A man who had been firing a gun and threatened to kill his wife was shot and killed by Polk County deputies Friday evening at the Ten Rocks Mobile Home Park on North Combee Road, Sheriff Grady Judd said.

Five deputies arrived around 6 p.m. after the victim’s wife called 911 and said her husband was reloading his gun inside the house, claiming he would kill her and arriving deputies, Judd said.

When deputies arrived, the wife was hiding behind a truck and the man was inside the house, Judd said. As Michael Loman, 56, emerged from the house, Judd said, he was holding a rifle and, “We shot him. A lot.”

Shots were fired by four of the five responding deputies, all of whom were armed with AR-15 rifles, Judd said.

Neighbors told law enforcement officers that Loman had earlier been shooting inside the house and around the neighborhood.

Other than Loman, nobody else was hit by gunfire.

“When you’ve already engaged as an active shooter and shot at people and shot in the house, and threatened to kill your wife and threatened to kill the deputies, and brandish your firearm in the direction of the deputies, they’re going to shoot you, shoot you a lot, “ Grady said at a Friday night news conference. “That’s what they’re trained to do. That’s what they’re instructed to do. They’re not gonna set there and hold a conversation with a guy with a firearm. It’s too late, too bad for him. It’s his choice. He chose for us to shoot him and we accommodated his request.”

Multiple agencies will investigate the incident, Judd said. They include the State Attorney’s Office, the Medical Examiner’s Office, the PCSO Criminal Homicide team and an administration investigation by the PCSO Policy and Practices Unit.

Among other questions, the Sheriff’s Office will look into whether Loman just brandished the weapon or fired at deputies, Judd said.

Loman was reported to have been drinking prior to the incident, Judd said, and that will be investigated, as well.

Judd said the names of the five deputies involved will be released on Monday.

VIDEOS: Fox 13 News report, Sheriff Judd’s news conference

YouTube video

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Barry Friedman founded Lkldnow.com in 2015 as the culmination of a career in print and digital journalism. Since 1982, he has used the tools of reporting, editing and content curation to help people in Lakeland understand their community better.

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4 Comments

  1. The police were very accommodating and did what was necessary. The shooter threatened his wife and police, and was neutralized. Now no more bad guy.

    Reply

  2. Texas defuses a child massacre killer with gun Florida makes no effort just shoot to kill. Interesting approach they didn’t mention his color assume both were not black

    Reply

  3. Best sheriff around. Quick and to the point. Saving the tax payers money by not going to court. All he had to do was to leave the weapon in the house and come out with his hands in the air. He could also turn his back to the officers for they would not shoot him in the back. End of conversation

    Reply

  4. I love our sheriff. And I love it when he says. We shot him alot. Just he would also say along with that one less bad guy we don’t have to worry a out. Again, Polk County has the very best sheriff there is

    Reply
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