Suspect killed, deputy injured in Dundee

DUNDEE (FOX 13) - The suspect in a Polk County child pornography investigation was killed Friday after his arrest turned violent and he attacked a detective, Sheriff Grady Judd said.

Sheriff Judd said two undercover detectives were interviewing Andres Estrada, 21, in the kitchen of his Dundee home after finding an explicit image on his cell phone.

According to investigators, Detective Trent Medley walked outside and left Detective Christine Smith alone with Estrada to read him his rights.

"It went bad, like that," said Sheriff Judd, snapping his fingers. "He lunged from the chair, attacked the deputy, knocked her to the ground and was on her, beating that quick. They said it was seconds."

Judd said Detective Smith was caught off guard and neither she nor Estrada's brother could get the much larger, 100-pounds heavier, man off of her.

Smith screamed for help and Detective Medley ran back into the house. The sheriff said Medley saw Estrada reaching for Smith's gun so he opened fire, hitting Estrada at least three times and killing him.

"Just, he flipped and screamed, 'you're not going to do this to me!'" said Judd, referring to how quickly the situation turned from a calm conversation into a violent encounter. "We don't choose for us to shoot people. People choose for us to shoot them."

Judd said Estrada had no previous criminal history but had been involuntarily committed under Florida's Baker Act three times.

Detective Smith was treated at the hospital and released.