FL Deputy Killed Responding to Christmas Eve Domestic Call

A five-year veteran of the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office (FL) sustained fatal injuries when he was shot on Christmas Eve while responding to a domestic violence incident. Cpl. Ray Hamilton, a member of the OCSO Special Response Team, succumbed to the shooting injury shortly after 3 p.m. at Fort Walton Beach - Destin Hospital.

The sheriff’s office reports deputies had been called to a home in reference to a report of a domestic violence battery. The victim reported Saturday morning that 43-year-old Timothy Price-Williams had slapped her in the face and shoved her during an argument the night before. The department also reports she said he took her phone so she could not call 9-1-1 for help.

When deputies went to the scene around 9 a.m. Saturday, Price-Williams refused to come out of the residence and the OCSO Special Response Team was called in. Price-Williams continued to refuse to leave the home, and then shot out a window around 12:40 p.m., striking Hamilton.

Price-Williams was injured in his right arm. He was taken to a hospital then transported to the jail on a charge of premeditated murder, the sheriff’s office reports.

"We are devastated by the grief of losing Cpl. Hamilton, a deputy who was a ray of sunshine in the OCSO, dedicated to protecting others," says Sheriff Eric Aden 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."

This afternoon the fallen officer was escorted from Pensacola back to Okaloosa County.

The sheriff’s office reports, “Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office deputies have remained with Cpl. Hamilton since the tragic event and will continue to stand vigil up to and through his memorial service.”