Background: Andrew Lawson speaks at his plea hearing on Jan. 15; his plea deal was rejected by the judge (WOFL). Inset: Austin Walsh (Brevard County Sheriff's Office).
A former Florida sheriff's deputy who was off-duty when he allegedly shot his roommate in the head while they played Call of Duty now faces more serious charges.
Andrew Lawson, 26, was originally charged with manslaughter in connection with the fatal shooting of his friend, roommate, and former colleague, 23-year-old Austin Walsh. On Thursday, the state's attorney's office filed to upgrade the charge to second-degree murder. The filing comes nearly three months after Lawson attempted to plead guilty to manslaughter, but the court rejected the plea deal, according to online court records.
According to reporting by local NBC affiliate WESH, 18th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Michelle Naberhaus halted the Jan. 30 sentencing hearing after four hours of victim impact statements. Lawson was set to receive a sentence of seven years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter. At the close of the hearing, Lawson withdrew his plea.
A second-degree murder charge could result in a life sentence if Lawson is convicted. WESH reported that Lawson's defense attorneys sought mental health rehabilitation for their client rather than imprisonment.
As Law&Crime previously reported, Lawson and Walsh, who was also a deputy with the Brevard County Sheriff's Office, were playing Call of Duty on the night of Dec. 3, 2022, while both were off from work. The two roommates were at their Palm Bay, Florida, apartment and in between gaming sessions when Lawson allegedly picked up a gun that he believed was unloaded and "jokingly" aimed it at the man he later described as his "best friend."
According to an affidavit reviewed by Law&Crime, Lawson pulled the trigger and the gun did not go off. Lawson then allegedly "again pointed the firearm at Walsh and again pulled the trigger," this time firing a bullet into Walsh's head, killing him instantly.
Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey recounted at the time that Lawson was "fully distraught and devastated" when Palm Bay police arrived at the deputies' home.
Lawson's next court date is scheduled for April 30.