A routine license plate reader scan in Polk County triggered a confrontation that turned deadly outside a Lakeland sandwich shop.
According to Sheriff Grady Judd, deputies located 46-year-old Larry Riles—a wanted suspect on probation—parked in a dark blue Chevy Captiva outside a Subway on Wabash Avenue and Memorial Boulevard. When deputies blocked his vehicle, Riles refused to step out and began ramming a patrol vehicle to escape.
Sheriff Judd reported that Riles reached into his backseat for a stolen 9mm handgun and began racking a round into the chamber to target deputies. Three deputies opened fire, neutralizing the threat. Riles was pronounced dead at the scene despite life-saving efforts by law enforcement.