POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A Winter Haven man who previously voiced deep-seated distrust of the police found himself in the back of a patrol car this month—not as an officer, but as a suspect. On February 11, 2026, a lieutenant with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office was shopping at a local grocery store when he spotted a man wearing a black shirt that looked remarkably familiar.
Deputies say the garment featured the word “SHERIFF” in bold letters and a star identifying the wearer as part of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
The lieutenant, recognizing the clothing as standard-issue duty gear, approached the man to investigate his credentials. When asked where the shirt came from, the man initially claimed a deputy had handed it to him during a community outreach event the previous year…