Gunfire in a Spectrum store parking lot jolted an Auburndale shopping plaza Friday morning, drawing a heavy law enforcement response and leaving the area taped off as investigators flooded in.
Officers from the Auburndale Police Department and deputies from the Polk County Sheriff's Office converged on the lot after officers discharged their firearms. The plaza was quickly secured as investigators worked the scene. Authorities have not released the identity of the person who was targeted or their medical condition.
According to the Tampa Free Press, no officers or deputies were injured in the incident. Outside investigators have taken over, and the outlet reports that the 10th Judicial Circuit's Officer-Involved Deadly Incident (OIDI) Task Force is leading the inquiry. Officials planned a media briefing at the scene later in the morning.
Independent task force steps in
The 10th Judicial Circuit OIDI team is called in when officers discharge their firearms and is designed to operate as an independent investigative body, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office. The task force typically runs its probe alongside internal administrative reviews and an examination by the State Attorney's Office.
The structure is meant to create a degree of separation from the involved agencies, with the goal of providing an impartial look at what led up to and followed an officer-involved shooting.
Forensics and witness interviews underway
Forensic teams began mapping out the parking lot and collecting physical evidence while investigators canvassed the area for witnesses. Uniformed officers kept a visible perimeter around the scene, the Tampa Free Press reports.
Police said they would brief reporters on site as additional details are cleared for release. Until then, much of what unfolded in those crucial moments before and during the gunfire remains under wraps.
Where this happened
The callout centered on a Spectrum retail store along U.S. Highway 92 in Auburndale. Online listings show a Spectrum location at 1004 US Hwy 92 W in the city, according to MapQuest.
The plaza sits on a busy commercial stretch, a spot where traffic and foot activity are already steady on a normal day. That likely added to the disruption and made the large police presence hard to miss for passersby and nearby businesses.
What to expect next
Previous OIDI task force investigations in Polk County have typically wrapped with findings forwarded to the State Attorney's Office after both independent and administrative reviews are complete, a process that can take anywhere from several days to weeks depending on the complexity of the case, the Polk County Sheriff's Office explains.
Officials have not provided a timeline for when they will release the identity of the person who was shot or an update on their condition. For now, the community is left waiting on the results of the task force's work and the promised briefings from law enforcement.
This story will be updated as agencies hold scheduled media availabilities and release new information from the scene.
