In an encounter that ended fatally for one man in a Lakeland community, Polk County deputies were forced to use lethal force against a suspect accused of violently assaulting an elderly man. As reported by FOX 13 News, Kentae Govan, 41, was shot after he charged at deputies with a brick—the same object he purportedly used to beat the elderly victim.
The incident unraveled yesterday afternoon when the Sheriff's Office received a 911 call around 3:07 p.m., subsequently confronting Govan who failed to comply with law enforcement orders. According to The Ledger, a woman had previously intervened in the attack on the elderly man, pushing Govan away, yet was chased and assaulted herself until she escaped into a shed. It was there that Govan beat her and took her cellphone when she threatened to call for help.
The deputies, left with no apparent alternative, fired six shots at Govan who, according to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, "made us kill him." In a statement obtained by WTSP, Judd said, "It was his choice to be shot tonight. We didn't make that decision, he did." Govan was later pronounced dead at Lakeland Regional Health, the hospital where the beaten elderly man was also taken; his condition remains undisclosed.
The narrative of Kentae Govan is one ingrained with a complexity known to those who delve into the souls of men pushed to society's margins, and back, repeatedly. Sheriff Judd revealed that Govan's life was largely spent within the confines of prison walls—a staggering total of 23 years. His criminal history included a 16-year sentence for sexual battery against a child and a subsequent seven years served after failing to register as a sex offender, as recounted by WTSP. No injuries to any of the responding deputies were reported.
