Death by Cop 2021-2025
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Marquis Lynn Baker
Age : 45
Gender : Male
Race : Black
Date : 08/08/2023
Location : Christina Animal Hospital, 6800 North Church Avenue
City : Mulberry
County : Polk
State : Florida
Agency : Polk County Sheriff’s Office
Officer(s) :Unknown
Cause of Death : Suicide
Event : Suicide under police duress
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
On 08/08/2023, Polk County Sheriff's Office deputies located 45-year-old Marquis Lynn Baker after receiving information that he was in Bartow. Baker was wanted out of Duval County for failure to appear on 11 counts of possession of child pornography and had also been reported missing after making statements to his attorney. Deputies followed Baker's Chevrolet Impala for approximately five minutes until he turned into a wooded area near Christina Animal Hospital at 6800 North Church Avenue in Mulberry and stopped his vehicle.
Deputies surrounded the vehicle after Baker placed a .40-caliber handgun to his head. The Polk County Sheriff's Office SWAT Team and Crisis Negotiators responded and spent more than four and a half hours attempting to persuade Baker to surrender. Deputies maintained communication throughout the standoff and even provided Baker with a cellular phone to continue negotiations.
At approximately 3:20 p.m., Baker shot himself in the head while deputies continued negotiations. SWAT medics immediately entered the scene and began lifesaving measures. Baker was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 3:50 p.m. No deputies fired their weapons during the incident.
