OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. — A sheriff's office located in Florida's Panhandle is mourning the loss of one of their deputies after he was killed Christmas Eve.
Cpl. Ray Hamilton, a five-year veteran of the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, was fatally shot after a domestic violence suspect opened fire on responding deputies from inside a home, according to authorities.
Law enforcement said deputies were called to a townhome near Fort Walton Beach for a report of a domestic violence battery.
A victim had reported Saturday morning that Timothy Price-Williams, 43, had slapped her in the face and shoved her during an argument the night before, taking away her phone so she could not call 911 for help.
When deputies went to the home at about 9 a.m. Saturday to make contact with Price-Williams, deputies said he refused to come out of the residence. The sheriff's office special response team was called the home.
However, Price-Williams continued to refuse to leave the home, and then shot out a window around 12:40 p.m., striking Hamilton.
The sheriff's office said that Price-Williams finally came out of the home in a manner that caused another deputy to fire on him, injuring him in his right arm.
The suspect received medical attention at the hospital and was then transported to jail on a charge of first-degree premeditated murder.
Hamilton was taken to Fort Walton Beach-Destin Hospital but died from his injuries shortly after 3 p.m. Saturday.
"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. "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."
