The following story was previously published on Lake Legal News.
EUSTIS, Florida — Eustis Police Department has made an arrest in the shooting of a woman Monday afternoon.
According to an arrest report, EPD received a 9-1-1 call Monday stating a female had been shot and was in the area of Orange Avenue. As the call was being dispatched EPD officers heard screams for help coming from the police department lobby and an officer found Santana Potts, 32, in the lobby with one of her family members.
Potts, suffering from a gunshot wound to the right arm, told police she had been in an argument with Keson Jacqueze Donaldson, 21, of Mount Dora, and she heard two gunshots and may have seen a black vehicle speed away, according to an arrest affidavit.
Police responded to the scene near the corner of Palmetto Street and McDonald Avenue and found four shell casings from a small caliber firearm and a pink razorblade with dried blood. While working the scene, EPD received information Donaldson was at AdventHealth Waterman seeking treatment to a large laceration to his face. Donaldson’s mugshot shows a cut down the side of his face from his hairline nearly to the corner of his mouth.
Detectives responded to the hospital and Donaldson said he went to Myung Sung Store, 201 Palmetto Street, Eustis to make a purchase. As he was walking up to the store, Potts and three other people allegedly confronted Donaldson and he told them he did not want any trouble. According to Donaldson, Potts approached him with the pink razor blade (described as a pink pocketknife by Donaldson) and swung her fist, slashing him in the face. Donaldson said he fell to the ground next to a gun and said he reached for the gun while other people were reaching for the same gun. In fear, Donaldson grabbed the gun and began firing in an unknown direction, the affidavit states.
A witness told police he heard Donaldson and Potts arguing and heard Donaldson call Potts a name and then he raised a gun and fired four to five rounds at her, before getting into a small black car and fleeing the scene, a statement that conflicts with what Donaldson told police.
Donaldson agreed to come to EPD for additional questioning and gave police a statement that did not match the evidence from the scene and was inconsistent with his first statement, the arresting detective noted in the affidavit. Police believe Potts slashed Donaldson in the face; he retreated approximately 50 feet and then pulled out the gun and fired in a northern direction, striking Potts from behind.
Donaldson was charged with possession a firearm by a convicted felon and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. He was released from the Lake County Jail on $20,000 bond.
Detectives are scheduled to interview Potts sometime Wednesday, said EPD Officer Lauren Brown.
