More than three years after a Florida sheriff’s deputy shot his friend, roommate and co-worker while playing with a gun, Andrew Lawson pleaded guilty to manslaughter on Jan. 15 in a plea agreement with the state attorney’s office.
In an emotional and dramatic moment, Brevard County Deputy Sheriff Lawson took the stand and apologized for his actions.
“It breaks my soul to know that I took away Austin’s future,” Lawson said, pausing frequently to dry his eyes and regain his composure. “I stole a future that was not mine. I’m sorry. I apologize. Please forgive me.”
The hearing was lengthy and will continue at a later date, meaning Lawson will have to wait and see what his sentence will be. However, the plea agreement did not provide for an exact penalty for the crime, other than to limit the prison time to seven years.
Family and supporters of the victim, 23-year-old Austin Walsh, were not satisfied with the detail. They asked Circuit Judge Michelle Naberhouse to reject the agreement.
“I respectfully ask that you do not accept the plea deal,” Walsh’s mother, Cheryl Walsh, said through tears. “The defendant made a series of choices that are irrevocable.”
She called the plea deal “an insult” and said the state attorney’s office ignored the family’s wishes.
Her son Alec Walsh addressed the court in a similar manner.
“We were ignored (by the state) and our pleas fell on deaf ears,” he said. “We feel like the state is not representing our best interests. This is not an accident. This is intentional.”
Lawson was 22 at the time of the shooting.
Brevard County Deputy Austin Walsh (pictured) was killed in an accidental shooting by his roommate and Deputy Andrew Lawson. Lawson pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the case
In December 2022, Lawson and Walsh were taking a break from playing video games in the early hours of the morning when Lawson “jokingly” pointed what he thought was an unloaded handgun at Walsh and pulled the trigger, according to a statement issued by Sheriff Wayne Ivey at the time.
However, Lawson pulled the trigger twice that morning. Nothing happened after the first pull of the trigger. At that moment, Lawson opened the chamber of the gun, loaded it and fired again. He shot Walsh in the face, killing him.
A day later, Ivey called the incident an “extremely stupid and completely avoidable accident” in a video update posted on the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
Cheryl Walsh said Lawson ignored all basic principles of gun safety and that as a law enforcement officer, one should be “held to a higher standard, not a lower standard.”
“He pulled up the slide and pulled the trigger a second time,” she said. “The gun doesn’t load itself. He murdered Austin.”
Defense attorney Alan Landman introduced mental health expert Drew Breznitsky, who testified about his clinical findings after meeting with Lawson. He said Lawson suffered from bipolar II disorder, which can lead to impulsive, reckless behavior and a reduced assessment of risk.
But prosecutor Stuart Stone disputed the diagnosis, arguing Lawson was mentally healthy enough to be employed by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.
Another defense witness, biblical counselor David Covalli, testified that he counseled Lawson for two years after the shooting and that Lawson felt remorseful.
“He accepted his responsibility 100 percent,” Kovali testified virtually. “He realizes that intent does not negate consequences.”
Contact Torres at jtorres@floridatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnnalbertrace.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Florida Deputy Sheriff Andrew Lawson pleads guilty to manslaughter
