Tampa Tribune (Florida)
LAKELAND - A Lakeland police officer was justified last month when he shot a motorist who disobeyed an order to pull over for a speeding ticket and then “drove directly toward” the officer, the state attorney’s office said Monday.
The Jan. 25 shooting of Michael Worlds by Officer Douglas Brown Jr. was the second of three law-enforcement related shootings in Polk County in a three-day period. Deputies involved in the two other shootings were cleared last week.
Assistant State Attorney John Aguero determined Brown was justified in shooting twice at Worlds because “Worlds’ choice to aim a motor vehicle at a police officer gave that officer a well- founded fear that violence was imminent.”
Worlds, 27, was hit once in the side, has recovered and is in jail on charges of aggravated assault with a motor vehicle on a law enforcement officer and violation of probation.