HAINES CITY, Fla. — A fight between a mother and daughter inside a van on the side of a Haines City road led a deputy who thought they had a gun to shoot one of the women over the weekend, the Sheriff's Office says.
- Incident happened at about 5 p.m. Saturday off Carl Boozer Road
- Witness driving by saw 2 women in van fighting, called 911
- Investigators: Deputy opened fire after woman didn't obey commands
- Deputies later learned there was no gun in the van
- More Polk County stories
Officials said that at about 5 p.m. Saturday, deputies and Haines City Police responded to a 911 call reporting that two women in a van were on the side of Carl Boozer Road, fighting and screaming.
The witness reported hearing one of the women, who was in the driver's seat, scream at the other that she was going to shoot her.
The first deputy on the scene spotted the fight in progress. One of the women, later identified as Wendy Schutte, 47, was heard screaming for help.
The other woman, identified as Linda Wages, 76, refused to obey commands from deputies to show her hands, they said.
Schutte also was screaming that that Wages was going to shoot her, investigators said.
At that point, the deputy said that Wages ducked down in the van. In fear for Schutte's life and his own, the deputy opened fire when Wages reappeared, firing several rounds, according to the agency.
Officials later learned that Wages and Schutte were mother and daughter, respectively, and both from Davenport.
They also said later that they learned that there was no gun in the vehicle.
Schutte later told investigators that the two were on their way to Winn-Dixie in Haines City when she pulled over the van to compose herself after a family dispute.
That's when, according to Schutte, Wages began to batter her by hitting and biting her. Wages then reportedly told Schutte that she had a gun in her bag and would shoot her if she "didn't stop blubbering."
Schutte then grabbed the bag and placed it under her left leg near the driver's side door, away from where Wages could get to it.
Deputies said Wages was reaching for that bag when she ducked down. Schutte said she thought there was one, believing her mother's previous statements.
The deputy rendered first aid to Wages, who was taken to a hospital for treatment. Schutte showed injuries consistent with being battered, investigators said. No other injuries were reported.
Wages was charged with domestic violence battery and aggravated assault. After she was released from the hospital, she was booked into the Polk County Jail.
The deputy has been placed on paid administrative leave, per standard protocol. The investigation is ongoing.