‘He made us kill him’: Polk deputies shot brick-wielding attacker, Judd says

Sheriff Grady Judd said at about 3:07 p.m. on Wednesday, a 911 call came in saying Kentae Govan was beating an “elderly man” in the head with a brick. The sheriff said the attack was unprovoked.

A woman tried to shove Govan off the victim, but the suspect allegedly chased her down, attacked her, and stole her cellphone because she said she was calling 911.

“He said over and over,” Judd said. “I am not going back to prison. They will have to kill me.”

According to the sheriff, three deputies — deputies Diaz, Mathis, and Sookhoo — arrived at the scene and ordered the man to throw down the brick

Judd said Govan refused and began charging at the deputies, who tased him.

“One of our witnesses said he just pulled the taser out and continued to charge,” he said.

As Govan continued to charge at the deputies, Mathis and Sookhoo fired six shots at the suspect and immediately began rendering first aid.

“He was transferred subsequently to Lakeland Regional Health, where he succumbed to his injuries,” Judd said.

Judd said it appears that Govan’s actions were an attempt to “commit suicide by cop.” According to the sheriff, the suspect previously spent 23 years in prison, 16 for sexual battery of a child and seven for failure to register as a sex offender.

“I believe based upon the early information, this was clearly a suicide by cop,” the sheriff said. “He had been in prison over half of his life for sexually battering a child, and he said over and over, I am not going back to prison. I am not going back to prison.”

“He made us kill him; it was his choice to be shot tonight,” Judd added. “We didn’t make that decision. He did, and we obliged him.”

The 10th Judicial Circuit’s Officer-Involved Deadly Incident (OIDI) Task Force was at the scene investigating Wednesday afternoon.

The victim, who was beaten with the brick, was said to have survived and is at Lakeland Regional for treatment.