Former Florida deputy faces upgraded second-degree murder in shooting of colleague

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - A former Brevard County sheriff’s deputy is now facing a second-degree murder charge in the 2022 death of his roommate and fellow deputy, as prosecutors escalate the case following a rejected plea agreement.

Andrew Lawson is accused of shooting and killing Deputy Austin Walsh, his best friend and roommate, during what authorities describe as a firearm incident inside their shared residence. 

Upgraded charge

New Developments:

Investigators say Lawson pointed a gun at Walsh "as a joke," pulled the trigger once but the weapon did not fire, then "cocked it, pulled the trigger again, shooting Walsh in the face."

Lawson now faces life in prison following the upgraded charge announced Thursday. The development comes after a judge rejected a plea deal that would have capped Lawson’s sentence at seven years.

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"The 7-year cap proposed by the state of Florida is an insult to what took place that night, and that is not justice for our son," said Cheryl Walsh, the victim’s mother, during earlier court proceedings.

Legal analysts say prosecutors likely revisited how the evidence was characterized rather than introducing new material. 

Attorney Geoffrey Golub said, "I wouldn't say any new evidence came. But they reassessed the evidence they had, and they said, you know, we can charge this as a second-degree murder."

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Golub also pointed to the sequence of events described by investigators as significant in the charging decision. 

"We're kidding around, not a great joke here, but he shoots and nothing goes off Well, okay. How do you then take a second shot? I think the joke’s over at this point, if you're just fooling around. So to me, the second shot would have been planned," he said.

If prosecutors and the defense do not reach another agreement, the case is expected to proceed to trial.