A Walton County sheriff’s deputy was fatally shot Wednesday afternoon while responding to a routine disturbance call at a Dollar General store, officials said.
Deputy Will May, 38, died at North Okaloosa Medical Center at 7:10 p.m., about five hours after the shooting occurred, Walton County Sheriff Mike Adkinson announced.
The incident unfolded around 2 p.m. when May, who had volunteered for overtime, responded to a call about an individual causing a disturbance at the Dollar General on U.S. Highway 90 in Mossy Head.
According to Adkinson, May briefly interacted with the suspect inside the store before both exited. As they walked out, with May behind the suspect, the individual suddenly drew a firearm and fired multiple rounds.
Despite being shot, May managed to return fire. Approximately 18 rounds were exchanged during the brief confrontation3. The suspect, whom authorities have not identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.
May was wearing a ballistic vest that stopped multiple rounds, but one bullet went beneath the vest, causing the fatal injury. Fellow deputies arrived within minutes to render aid before May was transported to the hospital.
“Will fought the entire time…from returning fire to fighting for his own life,” Adkinson said.
May, a second-generation member of the sheriff’s office, joined the department in 2014 as a communications officer before becoming a deputy in 2019. He had served as a field training officer since 2023.
The fallen deputy leaves behind a wife and two teenage children. Tragically, May’s wife had asked him not to work overtime that day.
“I am struggling on behalf of this organization to make sense of this because I can tell you, there is absolutely nothing tactically wrong that Deputy May did,” Adkinson said.
The sheriff’s office has requested time to process the tragedy and properly honor May’s service. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
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