A Florida sheriff’s deputy was fatally shot in a Christmas Eve standoff with a suspect during the serving of a warrant.
Timothy Price-Williams has been charged with premeditated first-degree murder over the death of Cpl Ray Hamilton in Fort Walton Beach on Saturday.
The suspect had refused to leave a townhouse home when shots were fired from inside it striking the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputy.
Authorities say that Cpl Hamilton was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Deputies, including the victim, had been trying to serve a warrant on a domestic violence charge but the suspect had refused to come outside.
After the shooting, Mr Price-Williams reportedly left the house but acted in a way that “caused another deputy to fire on him.”
The 43-year-old suspect was shot in the right arm and was taken to hospital for treatment.
He remains in jail and has been denied bond.
“We are devastated by the grief of losing Corporal Hamilton, a deputy who was a ray of sunshine in the OCSO, dedicated to protecting others,” Sheriff Eric Aden said in a statement.
“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.”
