Grady Judd: Lakeland suspect killed after beating elderly man with brick, charging deputies

LAKELAND, Fla. - A suspect accused of beating an elderly man with a brick and charging at Polk County deputies was shot and killed in a Lakeland community Wednesday afternoon. 

The Polk County Sheriff's Office said Kentae Govan, 41, was shot and killed by two deputies who fired six shots to subdue him when he charged at them with the same brick he beat an elderly man with. 

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"He had not been sleeping much, had been acting erratic and then all of a sudden attacked what was described on 911 as an elderly white male with a brick," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. "Our deputies came here to save his life." 

What we know:

The incident unfolded just after 3 p.m. on Wednesday near Saturn Street in Lakeland. Judd said during a news conference Wednesday evening that they received a 911 call that a man was beating an elderly man in the head with a brick. 

They said a woman shoved the suspect off the elderly man, but he chased her into a shed, beat her up and stole her cell phone when she said she was going to call 911. 

Witnesses told PCSO that Govan said multiple times, "I'm not going back to prison, they will have to kill me."

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Three deputies arrived at the scene, and one of them told Govan multiple times to put the brick down. However, the suspect refused and started charging toward the deputies, who tried to tase him, according to officials. 

Judd said that didn't work, and two deputies fired six shots, hitting the suspect. 

The deputies tried lifesaving measures, and the suspect was taken to Lakeland Regional Health where he died from his injuries. The elderly man remains hospitalized after the incident, according to PCSO. 

What they're saying:

Judd said two "incredible" witnesses helped investigators piece together what happened during the incident. One said they were on probation and another said they were "raised to resist law enforcement, but both agreed: The deputies had no choice and acted professionally. 

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They both said the suspect was coming after deputies with the brick when shots were fired, according to Judd. 

"Our deputies came here to save his [the elderly man's] life – to protect him and to stand in the gap between good and evil," Judd said. "And they were forced to shoot him when the taser did no good."

Who is Kentae Govan? 

Dig deeper:

Govan had spent more than half his life in the Florida prison system, PCSO said.

He spent 16 years in prison for sexually battering a child before being released on probation. Authorities said ultimately, he went back to prison for seven more years for failing to register. 

Judd said Govan had just been released "recently" from prison and was living in the community where the deputy-involved shooting happened. Residents called the home he lived in the "child molester house."

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"We know he was unemployed. He was getting federal assistance, SSI, and living in this group home for sexual predators and offenders. I mean, this guy is the worst of the worst."

Beyond serving time in prison, Judd said the suspect also has an extensive criminal history with multiple felony charges on his record. 

What we don't know:

Authorities said they don't know if Govan was on drugs when the incident happened. They said he was acting erratically. 

Deputies aren't sure why the suspect started beating the elderly man, but they said there wasn't a fight beforehand, and they were both sitting on a porch when Govan got angry and grabbed the brick. Judd said the brick was the size of your hand. 

"All of a sudden he became angry, and he picked up a large piece of stone, and that's actually the size of your hand, charged him, knocked him down and then was on top of him, beating him with a stone," Judd said. 

What's next:

The 10th Judicial Circuit's Officer-Involved Deadly Incident (OIDI) Task Force will take the lead on investigating the deputy-involved shooting. PCSO said they'd be turning over their information to them. 

LakelandCrime and Public Safety