Craig Smith, Chad Anderson Obituary – Two deputies from Polk County are currently in the ICU after being shot early Saturday by an individual identified by Sheriff Grady Judd as a Moorish sovereign citizen. The suspect was killed when backup deputies returned fire.
According to Judd, around 12:22 a.m., a deputy who was assigned to Hunt Fountain Park due to its reputation as a burglary hotspot noticed a vehicle there, despite the park being closed at 10 p.m. The deputy approached the vehicle and engaged in conversation with the man inside, questioning why he was in the park. However, the man refused to cooperate.
Judd stated, “At this point, he is resisting a law enforcement officer in the performance of their duty. He is also violating a county ordinance.” The deputy then retreated to her vehicle and requested additional backup due to the man’s resistance. Lieutenant Chad Anderson and Deputy Sheriff Craig Smith arrived at the scene among other deputies.
During the incident, there were a total of four deputies and two trainees present. Judd revealed that they were unaware at the time that the suspect was a sovereign citizen who identified as Moorish. Moorish sovereign citizens are known to believe that federal, state, and local laws do not apply to them, and they have a history of resisting law enforcement and engaging in violence against police officers.
Judd explained, “They started attempting to remove the suspect from the vehicle when he produced a gun and began shooting.” Lieutenant Anderson was shot in the arm, with the bullet penetrating his chest, while Deputy Smith sustained four gunshot wounds.
“Lieutenant Anderson managed to fire some rounds, and the backup deputies also fired numerous shots. We are still in the early stages of the crime scene investigation, so we cannot provide specific details at this time.
However, we can confirm that we successfully neutralized the suspect,” Judd stated. “He was killed in a gunfight, a firefight with our deputies, who had no knowledge that they were dealing with anyone other than an individual who was in the park after closing hours and acting suspiciously.”
