Man who killed 4 people in Lake Wales dies in standoff with police at Sanford motel

SANFORD, Fla. — A man wanted by police after a mother and her three children were shot to death in Polk County has died after an officer-involved shooting in Sanford.

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Seminole County law enforcement said they negotiated with a man accused of killing four people in Polk County for more than six hours Wednesday morning before he was shot and killed by SWAT team members.

Officials said deputies and officers were in contact with Al Stenson, 38, starting around 2 a.m. at the Slumberland Motel in Sanford.

Read: Midtown Atlanta shooting: 1 dead, 4 injured; suspect at large

Lake Wales police said Stenson shot and killed a woman and her three children Tuesday around 5 a.m. Investigators said family members discovered their bodies around 9 p.m.

Sanford police discovered Stenson was staying at the hotel in a room next door to his brother. Sheriff Dennis Lemma said they were able to convince Stenson’s brother to come out of the hotel room. Officers did not say whether the brother will face charges.

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The sheriff said after hours of negotiation, they were able to convince Stenson to put down a handgun down on the ground. When that happened, Lemma said SWAT team members used non-lethal force to try to get Stenson in custody, but it didn’t work.

Instead, after the non-lethal force was used, Lemma said Stenson reached down toward the gun, and four members of law enforcement shot at Stenson, killing him.

Read: Officers locate, work to capture man accused of killing Lake Wales family of 4

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