"He Died Of Natural Causes"

Great editorial in (of all places!) the Toronto Sun.

In 2006 in Polk County, Florida, a man wanted for skipping bail was pulled over for speeding. He shot both officers, killing one, then fled into a wooded area. Police surrounded the area and when the man pointed a gun at them, the police opened fire.

Later, the Florida Civil Rights Association complained police had shown disregard for human life and had used excessive force.

"Why did you shoot this poor, undocumented immigrant 68 times?” Sheriff Grady Judd was asked.

“Because that was all the ammunition we had,” he replied.

Sheriff Judd was subsequently re-elected with 99% of the vote.

When the coroner reported the guy had died of natural causes, he was asked how this could be, with 68 bullet wounds? He replied: “When you’re shot 68 times, you’re naturally gonna die.”

They don’t fool around in Florida!

Here is a contemporaneous news story of the incident. The quote from the Sheriff seems accurate, if not verbatim, but I can't find a source for the marvelous quote from the Coroner. It may be apocryphal, but irresistible! The medical examiner at the time was a woman, Vera Volnikh, and the quote refers to a "he".