Lakeland, Fla. (970 WFLA)-Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd says one of his deputies fatally shot a suspect in south Lakeland Monday afternoon.
The suspect, identified as 44-year-old Ryan L. Smith, succumbed to his injuries at the Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center.
He has an extensive criminal history, consisting of 22 felony charges, 25 misdemeanor charges, and five incarcerations in prison.
Judd says Smith was driving erratically, bailed out of his car and ran through a neighborhood. At one point, Judd says Smith who was armed with a pocket knife, ran into a backyard shed.
Judd says drugs were also found in Smith's Nissan Altima, including meth and synthetic pot.
The deputy who shot Smith is Sergeant Eric Daniel, a supervisor in the Southwest District, who has been a deputy with the Polk County Sheriff's Office for over eleven years.
There are four ongoing investigations: A death investigation by the PCSO Bureau of Criminal Investigations; an internal investigation by the PCSO Administrative Investigations Unit; an autopsy by the Medical Examiner; and the State Attorney's Office, who was on-scene and will also review all of these investigations once they are completed.
Photo Credit: Polk County Sheriff's Office