At 8:11 a.m., Sunday, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 9-1-1 call regarding an arsonist who was hurling a “Molotov cocktail”-style incendiary weapon at a residence.
According to deputies, the suspect left the scene by getting into an old Chevrolet pickup vehicle. The truck fled south on US 98 after the deputy tried to pull it over.
The deputy tried to use a precision immobilization technique (PIT) on the evading truck on US 98/Florida Avenue, but the attempt was unsuccessful.
While being pursued by deputies on I-4 westbound, the truck fled.
The fleeing vehicle halted in Hillsborough County near the westbound on-ramp to I-4 from Branch Forbes Road due to damage from the PIT maneuver, allowing officers to stop and ram the truck to end the pursuit.
Lakeland resident Luke Neely, 30, got out of the vehicle. He had an “AR-style” weapon in his possession.
Polk deputies opened fire on him. Deputies then treated his injuries after disarming him of a second weapon he was carrying.
He received gunshot wounds and was taken to a nearby hospital. The wounds are not considered life-threatening, according to authorities.
“We are in the early stages of this investigation. We thank the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for independently investigating this use of force and we appreciate the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office assisting with the scene investigation. One of our deputies sustained a wrist injury, but other than that, the only person who was injured is the arsonist, who fled from our deputies and threatened them. For this I am very thankful.” said Sheriff Grady Judd
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd will brief the news media at 5:00 p.m. this afternoon, November 20, 2022, at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Operations Center located at 1891 Jim Keene Blvd., Winter Haven, to provide further details of the incident(s) that occurred this morning.
Arsonist flees Polk deputies–booking photo attached
30-year-old Luke Neely of Lakeland 2016 Booking Photo.
Neely was arrested by the PCSO in 2016 and charged with disorderly conduct, using a firearm under the influence of alcohol, and resisting arrest. He was Baker Acted by the PCSO in 2020.