Man shot and killed on I-4 after pulling gun on officers, police say

LAKELAND, Fla. — An investigation is underway in Polk County following an officer-involved shooting that occurred early Sunday morning.

The shooting happened on Interstate 4 near Exit 31 at Kathleen Road, police said.

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Lakeland police responded to a suspicious vehicle parked in a construction zone around 2:15 a.m.

When officers arrived at the scene, they located a man sitting in his car in the construction zone. and approached the car, tapping on the window to speak to the driver.

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According to police, at some point, the man grabbed a handgun and pointed it at officers.

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Fearing for their safety, officers returned fired, shooting and killing the 61-year-old driver, police said.

No officers were injured during the exchange.

The officers who responded to the scene were Tammy Hathcock, a 15-year veteran officer with the Lakeland Police Department, and Garrett Zeigler, a 9-year law enforcement veteran who has served with LPD for the past five months.

Both officers will be on administrative leave with pay during the initial phase of the investigation, per department policy.

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