When a Florida cop decided to horse around by playing with his firearm, he accidentally shot his roommate in the head killed him.
It happened after the officer in question played "Call of Duty" with his pal who is also his best friend. The victim is a fellow police officer, according to the affidavit reported by New York Post.
No Joking Matter: Florida Cop's 'Dumb' Mistake Kills Best Friend
Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey spoke of the fatal accident involving two police officers, namely Andrew Lawson and Austin Walsh. He noted that the deadly shooting mishap was an "extremely dumb" accident that should have been easily preventable.
He called the two people "good kids," but in the end, a life was taken because of a "reckless" action.
Lawson, the accused deputy, was seen in his first court appearance on Monday as he is charged with the manslaughter of Walsh.
Walsh, 23, was killed Saturday in an apartment he and Lawson had rented in Palm Beach.
According to reports of the incident, Lawson and Walsh were taking a break from playing the military-themed video game. Lawson then took his Glock 34 mm, semi-auto gun and played around with it.
On his affidavit, Lawson explained that when he "jokingly" pointed the gun at Walsh, he thought it was unloaded. Sure enough, when he clicked the trigger for the first time, it did not fire.
However, Lawson messed with the firearm once more, this time pulling the slide and clicking the trigger. Unfortunately, tragedy struck, as the second shot fired and hit Walsh directly to the .
Lawson immediately called 911 at 1 a.m. in the morning and told the dispatcher on the other end that his pal was shot in shocking accidental death.
Florida Cop Devastated Over Tragedy
After the call was made, police went to the address and found Lawson waiting outside. He was immediately detained. Meanwhile, Walsh's body was found in the hallway, just outside the bedroom.
Further in his affidavit, Lawson shared that he thought the gun was still safe. However, he admitted he should have felt that the magazine with ammunition was still in the gun based on the weight of it, via NBC News.
Ivey remarked that Lawson was very distraught and felt devastated with the accidental death of his friend. Lawson also fully copperated in the case.
Walsh has been working for the Brevard County Sheriff's Office since he was 18 years old. Ivey described Walsh as a good kid who will be dearly missed by his peers and the community. He then noted that the accident changed the lives of two people due to the totally avoidable accident.
Due to the nature of his case, Lawson could be jailed for up to 15 years should he be found guilty of manslaughter. His next court appearance is scheduled on January 5, 2023.
Read also: Idaho College Murders: Forensic Lab Gives Police First Evidence from the Brutal Killing Spree
