A 42-year-old corrections officer is accused of showing a firearm during an argument with his estranged wife’s on-and-off boyfriend in the Leesburg home where all three live.
Shawn Justin Williams was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill after the incident, which happened shortly after noon Sunday at a residence on Third Street. Williams is a corrections officer at the Sumter Correctional Institution in Bushnell. He lives at the residence with his wife, who he is separated from. Williams’ wife is in an on-and-off relationship with the victim, who also lives there.
The Lake County sheriff’s deputy who responded was familiar with all the parties due to prior calls at the residence. The deputy was informed prior to arriving that the victim was possibly armed with a knife and had threatened to stab Williams. The victim was standing in the doorway when the deputy arrived. Due to the deputy being the only officer on a scene with multiple parties with potential weapons, the victim was handcuffed and placed in the back of the patrol car, according to the sheriff’s office report.
Once more deputies arrived, the victim was taken out of the vehicle and the handcuffs were removed. The victim told deputies that he and his girlfriend (Williams’ wife) got into an argument when they got home from church and were throwing each other’s things. He said Williams got involved and inserted his opinion, and the argument became between him and Williams, the report said.
The victim said Williams “went into his room and returned with an all-black semi auto handgun and told me while pointing the gun in the air that this is what it would be – he would take my life with his gun.” The victim said he told Williams, “I’ll protect myself with the knife,” but he never retrieved it, according to the report.
Williams’ wife (the victim’s girlfriend) said she wasn’t in the room at the time of the altercation between Williams and the victim. She was unable to provide information about the argument and the weapons, the report said.
Williams told the deputy he was in his room watching TV when he heard his wife and the victim arguing. He said he came out of his room and spoke with the victim, who became aggressive and got close enough to Williams he could feel spit coming from the victim’s mouth. Williams said the victim continued getting in his face to the point where he felt threatened, left the altercation, and entered his room to retrieve his firearm, according to the report.
Williams said he came out of his room with the gun and stood about four feet away from the victim, who was standing at the end of the island countertop in the kitchen. He said after he retrieved the firearm, he kept it by his side and did not point or brandish it. Williams said even after he got the gun, the victim continued to approach him and yell he was going to break Williams’ jaw, the report said.
Williams said once he found out the victim had summoned law enforcement, he placed the firearm in its case and in his room, behind a locked door. He said he put a lock on the door because he was afraid the victim would gain unauthorized access to his firearms. Williams admitted he had retrieved the firearm and entered the common living space again, hoping the gun would deter the victim and make him settle down, according to the report.
The deputy determined there was probable cause to charge Williams because he had walked way from the verbal altercation, entered a bedroom that has a door capable of being locked, retrieved the firearm, and re-entered the common living area to brandish the firearm instead of separating himself and summoning law enforcement, the report said.
Williams was arrested and taken to the Lake County Jail, where he was released later in the day on $2,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in Lake County Court on Oct. 31.
