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Welcome to the Polk County Sheriff's Office News Room, where the Public Information Officers (PIO's) post all of the information that they release to the news media. PIO's act as liaisons between news media organizations and the Sheriff's Office. The PIO's routinely release timely and accurate information and Crime Stoppers bulletins, and respond to routine and "breaking news" media inquiries. News releases and Crime Stoppers information can be found on this page.
PCSO's full-time Public Information Officers are Brian Bruchey, Carrie Horstman, and Meghan Petty. The Public Information Officers can be reached by sending an e-mail collectively at PIOs@polksheriff.org.
The recent news releases sent out by the PIOs can be found here, and archived releases (older than 2017) can be found here.
May 26, 2023
Prolific criminal escapes from Lakeland hospital--Lakeland Police Department captures suspect
Media Contact: Brian Bruchey, PIO
A Lakeland man wanted by multiple law enforcement agencies was captured Thursday, May 25, 2023, then escaped from a hospital Friday morning and recaptured three hours later.
33-year old Timothy Tallmadge now sits in the Polk County Sheriff’s Office jail, and will collect even more criminal charges for his actions in the last 24-hours.
“Detectives are looking at every little thing he’s done so we can charge him for each and every crime he committed. This guy is a true menace to society, and we want to ensure that he gets sent back to state prison for a fourth time, and hopefully he’ll stay there for quite a while. We sincerely appreciate the Lakeland Police Department's rapid deployment and successful apprehension of this fleeing felon.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
Deputies went looking for Tallmadge on Wednesday. He was a person of interest in a robbery investigation and had two active warrants, a petit theft charge from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and a Violation of Probation for a Possession of Weapon charge by the U.S. Marshals.
Tallmadge ran from the deputies on Wednesday. When deputies located him the following day, he ran again, but deputies captured him. He was taken to the hospital to be checked after he complained of pain.
At that time, Tallmadge was arrested on the two warrants, and the PCSO added additional charges of Resisting and Fugitive from Justice.
Two other agencies also had pending charges for Tallmadge on unrelated cases. Lakeland Police Department charged him with Aggravated Fleeing to Elude, Leaving the Scene of a Crash with Property Damage, Resisting, and Driving While License Suspended/Revoked, and Lake Alfred Police Department charged him with Fleeing to Elude and No Valid Driver’s License.
During a procedure at Lakeland Regional Health which required that he be unrestrained, Tallmadge managed to escape.
Lakeland PD officers and PCSO deputies quickly established a perimeter in the area surrounding the hospital and kept him contained while tightening the perimeter.
Lakeland officers found Tallmadge on Channing Road and he began running again. LPD officers were able to catch him and take him into custody. He was turned over to PCSO deputies.
The new charges that stemmed from his escape include: Escape, Resisting, three counts of Occupied Burglary (for trying to hide on private property while fleeing), and two counts of Felony Petit Theft (for stealing a hospital gown from the hospital and a shirt from a person’s property).
33-year old Timothy Tallmadge now sits in the Polk County Sheriff’s Office jail, and will collect even more criminal charges for his actions in the last 24-hours.
“Detectives are looking at every little thing he’s done so we can charge him for each and every crime he committed. This guy is a true menace to society, and we want to ensure that he gets sent back to state prison for a fourth time, and hopefully he’ll stay there for quite a while. We sincerely appreciate the Lakeland Police Department's rapid deployment and successful apprehension of this fleeing felon.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff
Deputies went looking for Tallmadge on Wednesday. He was a person of interest in a robbery investigation and had two active warrants, a petit theft charge from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and a Violation of Probation for a Possession of Weapon charge by the U.S. Marshals.
Tallmadge ran from the deputies on Wednesday. When deputies located him the following day, he ran again, but deputies captured him. He was taken to the hospital to be checked after he complained of pain.
At that time, Tallmadge was arrested on the two warrants, and the PCSO added additional charges of Resisting and Fugitive from Justice.
Two other agencies also had pending charges for Tallmadge on unrelated cases. Lakeland Police Department charged him with Aggravated Fleeing to Elude, Leaving the Scene of a Crash with Property Damage, Resisting, and Driving While License Suspended/Revoked, and Lake Alfred Police Department charged him with Fleeing to Elude and No Valid Driver’s License.
During a procedure at Lakeland Regional Health which required that he be unrestrained, Tallmadge managed to escape.
Lakeland PD officers and PCSO deputies quickly established a perimeter in the area surrounding the hospital and kept him contained while tightening the perimeter.
Lakeland officers found Tallmadge on Channing Road and he began running again. LPD officers were able to catch him and take him into custody. He was turned over to PCSO deputies.