CLERMONT, Fla.—Clermont Police Department has released the names of the couple found dead after a domestic incident Wednesday.
Christian Steeler Filson, 28, and Sarah Dale, 29, were found dead after an unidentified caller reported Dale was screaming and being chased by a man at Cottonwood Clermont, 1200 Hooks Street, shortly before 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.
When officers arrived, they began searching for the victim and spotted blood near an apartment in building 12. Officers entered apartment 12202, and found Dale, with a mortal gunshot wound.
“When our officers arrived, they immediately observed what appeared to be blood and a spent bullet casing outside of an apartment,” CPD Chief Charles Broadway said. “They began to conduct a well-being check but received no response from inside.”
Officers attempted to conduct an assessment of the scene and the victim, who appeared to be deceased, and they were immediately met with gunfire, CPD Capt. Malcolm Draper said. They returned fire and Filson retreated back into the apartment building.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) will conduct its own investigation, standard procedure when an officer fires a weapon.
Law enforcement officers from multiple agencies responded to the scene including Mid-Florida SWAT, comprised of officers from Leesburg Police Department, Mount Dora Police Department and Eustis Police Department, along with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Groveland Police Department. Lake EMS, Clermont Fire Department and Groveland Fire Department also responded.
“This was truly a team effort and through this joint effort, a safe entry was made and no officers were injured,” Broadway said.
Officers attempted to make verbal contact with Filson and never got a response, Draper said. After using drones and a robot to gather intel, Mid-Florida SWAT made entry to the apartment and found Dale fatally wounded and Filson dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Draper said CPD had one previous call for service to the apartment in October 2024 after an anonymous tipster reported someone was acting “erratically.” Officers responded and were unable to find anyone, Draper said.
Filson was arrested in Lebanon, Tennessee in 2017 for aggravated robbery and reckless endangerment after being accused of robbing two men in a Kroger grocery store parking lot of $15 and firing a shot as the victims followed him out of the parking lot, according to local media reports. The victims called police and continued to pursue Filson down West Main Street in Lebanon, where he purportedly fired a second shot. He was taken into custody by police and released on bond. The disposition of the Tennessee case was not available at press time.
