Editorial
Following the Uvalde Shooting, PCSO’s Sheriff Grady Judd reported that things would have gone differently in Polk County and, “we’re going to charge directly to the threat. There is no mustering. There is no gathering up. This is the last thing you’ll see. We’re going to shoot you graveyard dead.”
However, in September of 2021, deputy Adam Raulerson and Lt. ThomasTompkins aka DuaneTompkins of PCSO responded to an active shooter incident in which a mother, a grandmother, a 3-month-old infant, and a father were fatally shot, and an 11-year-old was severely injured.
In a press conference related to this incident, the sheriff reported that Lt. Tompkins was in the area and heard gunshots from what sounded like “automatic gunfire.” He responds to the area and “gathered his deputies.” Dispatch began to receive calls related to an “active shooter.” It should be noted that the mother and 3-month-old infant were reported to be making noises (screaming/crying) when Lt. Tompkins and Deputy Raulerson arrived on the scene per the Complaint Affidavit.
Complaint Affidavit:
Press Conference:
They saw a gentleman in the front of the home without a firearm and he ran into the home. Following this, they heard more gunfire and a woman and baby cry out in distress.
The sheriff reported that they attempted to make entry through the front door following the suspect, but it was barricaded. The sheriff follows up his press conference to state, that Lt. Tompkins went to the back door and made his way in and was immediately confronted with this same person in armor and there is, “a shootout.”
The sheriff contradicts himself and states, “He retreats back into the house.”
If Lt. Tompkins had already, “made his way inside the home,” how were the suspect and Lt. Tompkins back outside of the home for the suspect retreat, “back into the house?”
Did the Lt. ever enter the home?
The Radio Traffic:
Here is a rough transcript of the radio traffic: (Some words were inaudible.)
Tompkins reported over radio traffic, “Shots fired.” Tompkins reported about the shooter, “he’s got a rifle, he’s got armor… he’s got ballistic kevlar, too.” He goes on to state, “I fired multiple rounds, I’m not sure if he is hit or not.”
He then sought cover at the back of the property “behind some trees,” and called for backup, “help from all the other districts,” requesting that Deputy #EricLawes, “get here.”
“There’s a guy walking up from the back of the house.”
Tompkins: “That’s me. I’m trying to hold the back door.”
“Bring a vehicle in here, we need some cover.”
“Hey, everybody listen up, we’re going to do some target-directed fire. I’ve got three people behind this car that I need to get out of there. I’m going to fire some shots, nobody fire shots, do you understand?”
“Standby, I’ll do it because I’m the lead guy and I don’t want shots over me.”
“Somebody bring a car up here now, several cars, we need to get these dudes behind cover.”
Tompkins: “Raulerson, hold off on the directed fire, if you’re going to do it, he was at – by – the front door. Hold off until the units are comfortable and stay low.”
Raulerson: “Yeah, that’s where I’m at, Lt., the front door. I’ve got 3 of them pinned down behind this car.”
Tompkins: “Eric, it’s important that you get on this house. He’s got the back set up with glowsticks to the back door. That’s where I engaged him with fire.”
Tompkins: “Dispatch, we got SWAT rolling, correct?”
Rualerson: “All units, we’re going to do some directed fire exercise, be prepared.”
Tompkins: “Stand-by, let me get cover, remember, I’m right behind y’all.”
“Can we get a car up here, now? We need a car to get these people out of here.”
“Carlos, is anybody hit? Are we trying to evacuate anybody with injuries?”
“54 – Nobody’s hit. We got Paul and the other 3 out.”
“Let’s not pull cars in, he’s got a good vantage point. From what I can remember, he’s got it set up for a frontal attack… The rest of the units, find cover. Dispatch, I’m going to need units to set up a perimeter at the back of the property.”
“We’ve got a U.S. Marine Tag.”
“Okay, Lt. Can you get out of the backyard to the North.”
Tompkins: “I’ve got good cover back here with some trees in the back. I want to hold in case he starts pushing back, but I need more units back here in case that’s what happens.”
Tompkins: “Units up front, after I engaged him, have we heard anything from him?”
“He shot out the front door. I believe he is peeking out this front window.”
Tompkins: “If we identify him, and we see him, take the shot.”
“We’re going to engage in directed fire while these units move.”
“Poole, we’re coming back towards you. Myself, Rualerson, and the Sgt. are still pinned down in the front here… We don’t know if this vehicle is rigged.”
“All the units moving up, we’re [REDACTED].”
“We’re going to do some targeted directed fire to cover our first movement, are you ready?”
“SWAT is already activated.”
“Standby, there is somebody in the side yard on the North side. He just put his arms up and he ran down.”
“You have the lead, I’m moving out of the way. Front units, good verbal, be ready to use lethal.”
“Is there anybody else inside? Do you feel like there is anybody down inside? Can you see anybody? If so, then obviously we gotta do what we can to render medical.”
“We were unable to put eyes on the inside victims. We have one child that is apparently signal 56 [shot]. We have not heard anything from the 1037’s [operator] reference landline with the original reportee.”
“Can you get anywhere near the doors or windows and yell inside, see if somebody can call out to you guys?”
“Although, he’s got glow sticks that lead us back to where I engaged him. Is he debriefing at all?”
“Zulu, how many people should stay here at this house? We’ve got a mother-in-law in back.”
Deputies did not enter or make their way into the home of the 11-year-old victim until several minutes after the suspect was apprehended. PCSO members were fearful to enter the home due to concerns it may be “booby-trapped,” per Judd’s report. PCSO members knew, prior to even calling into the home, that there was a child victim in the home shot per the radio traffic. They also earlier heard a baby cry in the home per their complaint affidavit.
Sgt. Tyrees Graham finally entered the home and rescued the 11-year-old child.
According to the Complaint Affidavit, PCSO’s Lt. Tompkins, D/s Raulerson, Sgt. Victor Diaz, Deputies Paul Wright, Eric Lawes, Mako Poole, and Officer Zachary Simmons of LPD engaged in a shooting with the suspect.
So was Sheriff Grady Judd, correct? Would PCSO members “charge directly to the threat” of an active shooter?
Not according to the September 2021 mass shooting. The radio traffic shows that Lt. Tompkins fired multiple shots initially, then deputies sought cover. They stood-by, they set a perimeter, they “mustered and gathered up,” i.e. waited outside, and they engaged in targeted directed fire to cover their movements to, “get out of there.” They got air support there. They got SWAT there.
Even after the active shooter was hand-cuffed, and law enforcement was well aware that there was a child victim in the home that was shot and a baby that may have also been injured, they delayed entering the home to provide medical care to the victims for fear for their own safety. They put on “ballistic helmets,” and requested a “quick response team,” before entering the home. This was at least 22-minutes after the active shooter first fired at Lt. Tompkins per the radio traffic timeline and around 30-40 minutes or more after Tompkins reported that he began to hear bursts of “automatic gunfire.”
In the aftermath of the “worst mass shooting in Polk County’s history,” PCSO Lt. Duane Tompkins earned the Polk County Police Chiefs Association Officer of the Year, a Florida Office of the Attorney General Victim Services Award, a PCSO Medal of Valor, a PCSO Medal of Honor, a PCSO Life Saving medal and Tompkins was also nominated as a PCSO Deputy Sheriff of the Year. Tompkins and seven other staff earned a Medal of Valor award. Sergeant Tyrees Graham located the girl found alive but who had been shot multiple times. Graham carried her to safety. Also awarded for their actions that day were deputies Shannon Conover, Levi Costine, Kaitlynn Falletta, Mako Poole, Adam Raulerson, and Paul Wright.
So why are the cowardly actions of Uvalde all over the news while the cowardly actions of PCSO are awarded medals of valor?
Uvalde has cameras and vocal parents to speak up against what happened that day.
In Polk County, when the sheriff shares a narrative to cover for the cowardly actions or inactions of his deputies, you will rarely see surveillance cameras and there are no body-worn cameras. Tragically, the parent of our 11-year-old victim and the mother of the 3-month-old deceased victim from the September 2021 mass shooting did not survive to be vocal.
Post-Uvalde, Sheriff Grady Judd made headlines again for engaging an active shooter in a mobile home park. Judd said, “We shot him. A lot.” He was commended for demonstrating how law enforcement should engage an active shooter. In the Post-Uvalde shooting, the suspect was threatening to shoot deputies.
In the September 2021 shooting, the suspect was shooting a child, an infant, a grandmother, a father, a mother, and a family dog.
“In the cases DeShaney vs. Winnebago and Town of Castle Rock vs. Gonzales, the supreme court has ruled that police agency are not obligated to provide protection to citizens. In other words, police are well within their rights to pick and choose when to intervene to protect the lives and property of others.”
Do you understand the difference?