WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - A Polk County deputy who was shot in the line of duty and survived is back to work. After 17 months, Lt. Chad Anderson returns to work—on light duty for now.

In a video, Sheriff Grady Judd and his staff welcomed Anderson back. Anderson himself thanked everyone for their support.

"My family, faith, and friends. It has been a long 18-month journey," said Anderson. "It's not over yet, but God is good. I'm blessed to be walking and talking."

The backstory:

In April 2024, an interaction in a parking lot with a man who claimed to be a sovereign citizen, meaning he doesn’t believe in following federal, state, or local laws, turned violent.

Deputies say he was apparently living out of his car and was parked in the lot at Hunt Fountain County Park.

After one deputy ma

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