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| K9 Ace / PCSO |
Armed Suspect Dead, Polk County K9 Injured in Officer-Involved Shooting in Lakeland
By Digital Staff Reporter
iSkyNews.com (ISN) – Published August 6th, 2026
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LAKELAND, Fla. — An armed suspect is dead and a Polk County Sheriff’s Office K9 is being treated for injuries after an officer-involved shooting on Rushing Road in Lakeland, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
The suspect has been identified by authorities as 27-year-old Angel Bowers.
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| 27-year-old Angel Bowers / PCSO |
According to information released by Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, deputies were involved in an encounter with an armed suspect that resulted in an officer-involved shooting. During the incident, K9 Ace, a Polk County Sheriff’s Office canine, was shot and injured.
Ace was taken for treatment following the shooting. His handler has been identified as Deputy Sheriff Oestreich, whose last name is pronounced “A-strike.”
Authorities said all deputies involved in the incident are safe. Bowers was pronounced dead following the encounter.
Sheriff Judd provided details about the shooting from the scene. The circumstances leading up to the confrontation, including what prompted deputies to respond to Rushing Road and the sequence of events immediately before shots were fired, remain part of the investigation.
PRESS CONFERENCE
The 10th Judicial Circuit Officer-Involved Deadly Incident Task Force is investigating the shooting. The task force conducts independent investigations into deadly use-of-force incidents involving law enforcement within the judicial circuit.
Additional details about K9 Ace’s condition and the circumstances surrounding the shooting were not immediately available.
This is a developing story. iSkyNews.com will update this report as additional information is released.
Source: Polk County Sheriff’s Office / Sheriff Grady Judd.
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