A sheriff’s deputy was reportedly killed by a hail of bullets while responding to a call for help.
Cpl. Ray Hamilton from Florida was reportedly a “dedicated” serviceman of the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office who arrived at a property on North Park Boulevard in Wright while responding to a domestic violence report on Christmas Eve.
According to the reports, the deputy arrived on the scene along with a special unit team to try to negotiate the suspect’s surrender after the man had barricaded himself inside his home.
While attempting to serve the suspect a warrant over a domestic battery charge, Hamilton was met with a barrage of bullets as the man opened fire through the window from inside his home.
Though the injured officer was immediately rushed to the hospital, he died at Fort Walton Beach’s Destin Hospital some two hours after the Christmas Eve shooting.
Following the shooting, the suspect – 43-year-old Timothy Price-Williams – was shot in the arm and arrested. He has since been charged with premeditated first-degree murder and was denied bond.
The authorities revealed that Hamilton was part of the Special Response Team and that he won multiple awards for his hard work.
“We appreciate the endless stream of words of support that have come in for his family and his co-workers as we face this heartbreaking loss of a profoundly loved and respected friend, public servant, and hero,” Okaloosa County Sheriff Eric Aden said.
Paying the “kind” and “dedicated” cop a tribute was also Deputy Chaz Donovan who released a lengthy Facebook statement in the honor of his slain colleague.
“Sometimes you just can’t find words. He was one of my trainees when he started 5 years ago. Excited and ready to work. Even when I would try to stress him out he was always positive and ready for the next challenge. After training we have remained good friends and would talk everyday before shift,” he wrote.
“I was with him just minutes before this horrible incident. Ray being Ray was in the stack and didn’t have any tobacco on him. He bummed a dip off me and gave me that goofy Ray grin. Little did I know this would be our last conversation.
“I referenced Ray often to my trainees and used his character as a standard of how people should be treated.
He was a genuine good guy. Loved his wife and would do anything in his power for his fellow man. Please keep this guy and his wife in your prayers. Say his name often and let him never be forgotten. Love and will miss you always brother.”
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