Polk County woman facing murder charge in death of deputy

POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WWSB) - A Polk County Sheriff’s deputy was killed in a shooting early Tuesday morning. Sheriff Grady Judd said he was likely killed by another deputy’s bullet but that the subject of the warrant is the one who caused the situation to escalate.

In a press conference, Sheriff Grady Judd said that four deputies were serving a felony warrant in Foxtown to Cheryl Lynn Williams for failure to appear on meth-related charges. Deputies entered the home and shots were fired.

The deputy, identified as 21-year-old Blane Lane, was taken to Lakeland Regional Hospital where he passed away.

Sergeant Michael Brooks, Deputies Johnny Holsonback III, Adam Pennell, and Blane Lane arrived at the scene around 3 a.m. At 3:08 a.m., they advised that shots were fired. Lane was hit in the chest. Polk County Fire and Rescue attempted life saving measures but were sadly unsuccessful. Judd called their efforts “valiant.”

Judd said one of the suspects in the house was holding a BB gun and it is believed she wanted a firefight or to die by ‘suicide by cop.’ Preliminary investigation is said to indicate all deputies on scene were within their right to shoot back at the woman, but one deputy fired a round that struck Lane.

Williams was also transported to a local hospital to be treated for multiple gunshot wounds. She is stable. She is now facing a second degree murder charge. The handgun turned out to be a very realistic-looking BB gun.

Lane has a 3-year-old and had been working for three months with Polk County.

“This is like losing one of your kids,” said an emotional Sheriff Judd said during the press conference.

“Cheryl Williams is responsible for the death of Deputy Lane, a young man who had his entire life ahead of him, eager to serve while making a positive difference as a public servant. Now she has 13 felonies, and he has lost his life,” Sheriff Judd wrote in a post.

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