WALTON COUNTY, Fla. — A Walton County Sheriff’s Office deputy finishing his shift died Wednesday following a brief gunfight where he killed a suspect, the agency said.

Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said a call came in around 2 p.m. that a person was causing a disturbance and trespassing at the Dollar General near Mossy Head. Deputy Will May, who was working overtime, responded to the call.

It was the end of his shift and May told dispatchers he would take up the call on his way home, according to Adkinson.

“Deputy May was not supposed to be working today,” Adkinson said Wednesday.

May engaged the suspect, there was a “brief” 10-15 second discussion and the suspect left the store with May behind him, Adkinson said.

Within about 10 seconds, the suspect drew a firearm and fired several shots that struck May, police said. May returned fire, killing the suspect before he called for assistance. Adkinson did not name the suspect.

Another deputy arrived about two minutes later and rendered aid to May. Area conditions did not allow for a life flight, so Walton County Fire Rescue took him to a local hospital. May was wearing a bulletproof vest, and one of the rounds went underneath the vest. One of the rounds struck his bodycam, the sheriff said.

“For the next four hours, surgeons and doctors worked to save Will’s life,” Adkinson said. “Will fought the entire time, from returning fire on scene, to fighting for his own life.”

At 7:10 p.m., May was declared dead.

Adkinson said an arrest was not likely to be made Wednesday at the store. Though the investigation is ongoing, Adkinson said WCSO had never arrested the suspect, who had a concealed carry permit, or any other organization they could find.

“There’s absolutely nothing (May) could have done differently nor was there any indication that this individual was capable of this level of violence,” Adkinson said.

May joined WCSO in 2014 as a communications officer, Adkinson said, and in 2019, he became a deputy. 

Adkinson said that May’s death was “unfathomable.”

“He chose a lifetime of service,” Adkinson said. “I’m 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.”

May is survived by his wife and two children, Adkinson said.