WALTON COUNTY, Fla. — A Santa Rosa Beach man is facing an aggravated assault charge after a shooting was reported late Tuesday in Walton County, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) announced.
According to the WCSO, deputies received a 911 call about a physical altercation between family members near the 100 block of Chat Holly Road. Callers reported that a firearm might have been involved and that shots may have been fired.
Deputies made contact with the victim, who reported he intervened after hearing his son-in-law, Tyler William Sluga, 32, in a heated verbal altercation with his wife inside their home. The victim, who lives in a separate trailer on the same property, said he heard Mr Sluga acting aggressively and breaking items inside the residence.
When the victim went to investigate, the suspect reportedly left the back porch and approached him aggressively. The victim said he warned Mr Sluga to “get back” repeatedly and pushed him away, but the suspect continued advancing. The victim told deputies he drew a pistol from his waistband in self-defense, causing both men to retreat to their respective homes.
The suspect’s wife left the residence shortly afterward at the direction of the victim, who said he believed Mr Sluga might be retrieving a firearm. The victim then armed himself with a shotgun. As he exited his home, he reportedly heard a gunshot and went back inside to wait for deputies.
Deputies later spoke with Mr Sluga, who admitted he was in possession of a shotgun when he heard approaching sirens and threw the firearm over a fence into a nearby parking lot before deputies arrived.
Mr Sluga was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill. He was issued a $100,000 bond and remained incarcerated at the time of the announcement, according to the WCSO.
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