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PCSO's full-time Public Information Officers are Brian Bruchey, Carrie Horstman, and Meghan Petty. The Public Information Officers can be reached by sending an e-mail collectively at PIOs@polksheriff.org.
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Feb 7, 2019
Davenport man charged with attempted murder for shooting at Polk deputies and Haines City officers during six hour standoff
Media Contact: Brian Bruchey, PIO
20-year-old Zachary Stinson was arrested Thursday morning, February 7, 2019, at 4:15 A.M., following a six-hour standoff with Polk County Sheriff's Office deputies and Haines City PD officers, at his residence.
The Sheriff's Office was informed of an armed disturbance at the residence at 10:14 P.M. Wednesday, February 6, 2019.
The disturbance began because Zachary was upset that his father went on a date with a woman, and Zachary felt left out. He then became very agitated. He shaved his head, began urinating on the furniture and floor, spray-painted interior walls, and began using a knife to open a locked box containing his father's firearms. Zachary made the statement that he was “going to die today.”
When deputies and officers arrived, they set up a perimeter around the house, and began hailing Zachary over their PA radios.
At the time, Zachary was the only person in the house. He shot four times out of the front window at the deputies, with one of those bullets striking the boot of a deputy. The bullet entered the boot on the side near the laces, and exited on the side above the heel. The deputy was not injured by the bullet.
Zachary shot three more times out the back of the house, at deputies and an officer. The officer fired two shots.
Deputies immediately notified nearby residents and urged them to leave their homes.
“For the second time in eight days, a person with mental health issues shot at our deputies. Last night, our deputy was shot in the boot, and escaped injury, and now we have the shooter safely in custody in the County Jail. I applaud our deputies who acted extraordinarily to keep everyone alive last night.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff.
PCSO SWAT and the Crisis Negotiation Team responded and eventually convinced Zachary to exit the home and surrender.
There were no injuries.
Zachary was arrested, and will be charged with five counts of Attempted Murder of a LEO, and seven counts of Aggravated Assault on LEO.
Zachary's prior criminal history includes Battery, Battery (Domestic), Assault with Intent to Commit a Felony, Disorderly Conduct, and Resisting.
He has been Baker Acted ten times in Polk County.
This investigation is ongoing.