NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
March 30, 2009
Contact: Michele Nicholson
Public Information Officer
(850) 651-7420
ATTEMPTED MURDER SUSPECT RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL
A Fort
Walton Beach man facing three counts of attempted murder is now in the Okaloosa
County Department of Corrections after being released Monday evening from a
Pensacola hospital.
39-year
old Ronald Willard of 1009 Holten Avenue was injured March 17th after using a
semi-automatic weapon to shoot at members of Eglin's 96th Security Forces on
Eglin's reservation. Willard was shot once in the abdomen when officers returned
fire. He had been undergoing treatment at Pensacola's Sacred Heart Hospital,
but was released around 6 pm Monday and
then taken into immediate custody.
On March 17th,
Willard had driven onto the Eglin reservation while trying to elude Okaloosa
County Sheriff's deputies who were pursing him in connection with another
shooting. He is charged with attempted murder for chasing 29-year old Jason Ward
of Fort Walton Beach and shooting Ward in his car around 3 a.m. while they both
drove down Lewis Turner Boulevard. Willard faces an additional two counts of
attempted murder of a law enforcement officer for shooting at the Eglin Security
Forces Officers later that day.
Inside Willard's
car on the reservation law enforcement officers found an additional assault-type
rifle, two .40 caliber handguns and several hundred rounds of ammunition.
###