Judge rejects plea deal for Brevard County deputy accused in fellow deputy’s fatal shooting

A Brevard County deputy who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the fatal 2022 shooting of his roommate and fellow deputy was expecting to be sentenced Friday, but in a turn of events, a judge decided not to accept his plea agreement. Andrew Lawson was charged with manslaughter in January 2023, a month after the deadly shooting of Deputy Austin Walsh, 23. According to an arrest affidavit, Lawson, who was off-duty, “jokingly” pulled the trigger twice before the gun fired and killed Walsh.