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BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Update: Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey revealed what led to Deputy Austin Walsh’s death Saturday morning.
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Ivey said the situation appeared to be an accidental shooting that happened with Walsh’s roommate, Deputy Andrew Lawson.
Walsh and Lawson were playing an online game with friends when they took a break, Ivey said.
The sheriff said Lawson “jokingly pointed” a handgun at Walsh, thinking that the weapon was unloaded before he pulled the trigger.
According to the investigation, a single round was fired.
Ivey said Lawson called 911, distraught and told them he had accidentally killed his roommate.
Original report:
A deputy has died following an accident early Saturday morning, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office said.
The sheriff’s office said in a post that Deputy Austin Walsh, 23, was killed in an off-duty accident within the southwestern part of Palm Bay.
The Palm Bay Police Department told Channel 9 the incident happened on Damascus Avenue and when officers arrived at the scene, they found a man who had been shot and killed.
Read: Sanford Police is searching for a suspect after a major hit-and-run crash
Sheriff Wayne Ivey said Walsh was “a treasured member” of the BCSO family.
According to the sheriff’s office, Walsh had been part of the agency since he was 18 and participated in the Explorers program.
Read: Motorcycle crash in Melbourne kills man, police say
Florida Department of Law Enforcement will continue to investigate the incident.
Watch Channel 9 Eyewitness News for updates on this developing story.
See a map of the scene below:
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