Michael Jerome Taylor
Male, Black
Date of the incident: 12/26/2018
Lakeland, Polk, FL
101 E Memorial Blvd
101 E Memorial Blvd
Officers responded at 2:21 a.m. to a call from an employee at Salem's about a large crowd gathered in the parking lot, police said. Officers attempted to clear the parking lot when Officer Raj Patel noticed a black Chevrolet Camaro that fit the description of a vehicle stolen from Winter Haven. As multiple officers approached the vehicle, the driver, Michael Jerome Taylor, allegedly attempted to flee. Officer Markais Neal and two other officers shot and killed Taylor as he reportedly accelerated through the parking lot, striking several vehicles and a utility pole.