After shooting at his wife and threatening to shoot deputies, a man confronted the police with a firearm and refused to drop his weapon. After the suspect was dead, the sheriff stepped forward with a message to anyone who was upset that officers had shot an armed attacker.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call after a woman reported that her husband was shooting his rifle inside their mobile home and threatening to kill her. He promised to commit “suicide by cop” if she called the police, also threatening to kill responding officers. Dispatch even heard a gunshot while the woman was on the phone with 9-1-1, and a witness told deputies that they were nearly hit by a round as the man was firing outside.
When deputies arrived, they discovered that 56-year-old Michael Alan Loman had gone towards the back bedroom “to reload” because he was going to “kill her and all of the deputies when they arrived.” Fortunately, this left officers time to get the man’s wife to safety. Just after they had relocated the woman, Loman burst through the front door and stepped onto the porch brandishing a rifle.
Loman was ordered multiple times to drop the weapon but refused. Police confirmed he has a criminal history that includes one felony for possession of cocaine and three misdemeanors, including a domestic violence battery conviction. After numerous warnings, four deputies shot the suspect, who died at the scene.
Expecting a backlash, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office scheduled an immediate presser to relay the facts. However, the sheriff was determined to shut down anyone who disagreed with their response to a possibly deadly situation.
Sheriff Grady Judd stepped in front of reporters and unapologetically defended his officers while shutting down those who would criticize shooting a potentially suicidal suspect. When questioned about how his deputies handled the situation, the sheriff bluntly stated, “We shot him — a lot.”
“Michael came out of the house with his long gun, his rifle in-hand,” Sheriff Judd said. “And when he did that, we shot him. A lot. And that was the end of the gunfight.”
Sheriff Judd explained that his officers were trained to neutralize any deadly threat to innocent civilians as well as themselves. He clarified that, regardless of the suspect’s mental state, an active shooter must be stopped, WTSP reports.
“He chose for us to shoot him,” Sheriff Judd said. “And we accommodated his request.”
Sheriff Judd further reiterated that there was no time for officers to negotiate with the gunman due to the nature of the crime. Loman had threatened to kill officers and was brandishing a firearm while refusing to comply, so the threat had to be treated as a deadly situation.
“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 you brandish a firearm in the direction of the deputies, they’re gonna shoot you — shoot you a lot,” he said.
Neither Loman’s wife nor any of the deputies present were harmed during the incident. As far as the outcome, Sheriff Judd commended his officers for handling the situation in the best manner possible.
“That’s what they’re trained to do. That’s what they’re instructed to do,” he said. “They’re not gonna sit there and hold a conversation with a guy with a firearm.”
Having Sheriff Grady Judd confirm the deputies did what they had to do, must help with the mental health of the deputies after being forced into this situation by the criminal. Sheriff Judd is clear, thorough, doesn’t flip flop, and comes across as very transparent.
Sheriff Judd understands that messaging is key in building and maintaining the community’s trust. He hopes to put a stop to the idea that just because a dangerous individual may be suicidal or suffering from mental illness, it doesn’t mean that they must place the suspect’s life above those of innocent civilians or officers they’re threatening.
