Polk deputies shot confronting suspect

LAKELAND - The man who shot two Polk County deputies is dead, Sheriff Grady Judd announced today. Meanwhile, the injured deputies are expected to recover.

Matthew Lewis Tutt, 21, died after a shootout that started when Tutt was being questioned by deputies for acting suspiciously.

According to Sheriff Judd, Tutt was riding a bike with no lights at 2:30 a.m. in an area known for high crime. The deputies, on patrol due to recent burglaries in the neighborhood, stopped him and asked if they could search him for weapons.

Tutt agreed to be searched, but then pulled out a high-caliber handgun and shot at the two deputies, who returned fire. He died at the scene.

Deputy Paul Fairbanks, 58, underwent surgery at Lakeland Regional Medical Center for wounds to the stomach and left arm. He was out of surgery just before 9 a.m.

Deputy Michael Braswell, 32, was wearing a bulletproof vest and was shot four times. He was also hospitalized for treatment.

Both deputies should make a full recovery, the sheriff said.

Sheriff Judd described Tutt as "no stranger to us in this area of town."

The shooting took place about a block from Jesse Keen Elementary School.

"This ended today as it should," the sheriff said. "Our deputies are alive and the guy who shot our deputies is dead."

Deputy Fairbanks has been with the sheriff's office since November 1996, and Sheriff Judd said he is close to retiring. Deputy Braswell was originally hired as a detention deputy in 1998 and became a sheriff's deputy in 2005.

Sheriff Judd says he went to the hospital before he checked out the scene so he could see the deputies' families.

"I told the families ... it was a bad night, but it was a great night," the sheriff said. "Our deputies are alive, they're going to recover from their injuries, we're going to make sure they get the best care for their physical injuries. We're going to make sure they get the best care for their emotional injuries."

FOX 13's Tanya Arja will have more on this story tonight at 5 p.m.