BARTOW, Fla. (WFLA) — Two law enforcement officers who were shot during a
gunfight with a suspect
in Polk County are on the road to recovery.
In a
post on X,
the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said Deputy Ed Alexander and Bartow Officer Mark Sills were both released Friday evening and are expected to make a full recovery.
In a press conference last week, Sheriff Grady Judd said it all started Friday morning when 34-year-old Wayne Volz got into an argument with his parents at their home in Fort Meade and pistol whipped his mother.
Authorities said Volz knocked his father to the ground as he ran to help and asked him, “Do you want to die today?”
“He was out of control,” Judd said. “He held them hostage; he pistol-whipped mom; he put a gun between his father’s eyes and told him he needed to beg for his life.”
According to investigators, Volz told his parents that he was “Jesus and God,” and that his mother was “the devil.” He also took their cell phones to prevent them from contacting anyone.
But when Volz’s father said he needed to go to work at Lowes in Bartow, Volz elected to come with him, the sheriff’s office said. His father went inside the hardware store and was hidden by his coworkers after telling them what happened.
Bartow police received a 911 call from Volz’s father and responded to the scene. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office was also called to assist with a drone, but Judd said they had little information going into the crime scene.
“We’re all running blind,” Judd said.
The drone operator eventually spotted Volz walking past, but didn’t see that he had a gun, the sheriff explained. She yelled for him to stop, and Volz ran around the building, where he had a confrontation with Polk Deputy Edwin Alexander.
“On the north side of the building, a little bit later, the guy came running through and they were yelling at him I guess to stop and as he was running, he had a weapon in his hand, looked like he was trying to load it,” said Mike McMillan. “From there our staff was smart enough to hide in the restroom. By the time they started to get into the bathroom they heard about 10-15 to 20 shots.”
Judd said Volz shot Deputy Alexander’s car seven to eight times. A bullet also struck Deputy Alexander in the forearm.
Volz was engaged by two Bartow officers, Vincent Agostino and Mark Sills Jr., and another Polk County deputy as he started back around the building. That’s when Judd said there was a barrage of gunfire.
“There were a lot of shots fired. It was gunfight,” Judd said. “And we shot him — a lot. … He asked to be shot and killed, and we obliged him.”
Officer Sills was shot in the chest but was wearing a vest that helped save his life.
Volz was rushed to the hospital but ultimately died from his injuries. The sheriff said Volz had a criminal history and was known to be a “drug addict.”
Judd and Bartow Police Chief Stephen Walker said both of their team members were taken to hospitals to be checked out but were in good spirits after the incident.
Afterward, Deputy Alexander joked that he would be “taking a vacation,” Judd said.
“He did a great job and stayed in it,” Walker said of Officer Sills. “I’m super proud of the guy.”
Walker also drew attention to the bullet resistant vest that helped save Officer Sills’ life.
“It’s like a sledgehammer to the chest,” Walker said. “The bullet is moving about 1,100 feet per second and it’s got 450 pounds of energy behind it.”
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office released the following statement:
“Per standard protocol, there are four investigations currently underway: an independent investigation by the 10th Judicial Circuit’s Officer Involved Deadly Incident (OIDI) Task Force; an internal investigation by the PCSO Administrative Investigations Unit; the Polk County Medical Examiner conducts the autopsy to determine the manner and cause of death; and all investigative findings are forwarded to the 10th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office for their investigation and review.”
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