Florida deputy killed in Christmas Eve shootout

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. — A Florida sheriff’s deputy was fatally shot Saturday while responding to a domestic violence call in the Panhandle city of Fort Walton Beach, authorities said.

>> Read more trending news

Cpl. Ray Hamilton, a five-year veteran of the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, died after being shot shortly after 3 p.m. CST, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

Hamilton, a member of the sheriff’s office special response team, was responding to a domestic violence incident at a home in Fort Walton Beach when the suspect refused to leave and began firing shots out of a window, WEAR-TV reported.

Hamilton was struck by a bullet and was taken to an area hospital, where he died from his injuries, the sheriff’s office said.

Timothy Price-Williams, 43, was struck by return fire from deputies, the Northwest Florida Daily News reported. Price-Williams was struck in his arm, and deputies said his injuries were not considered to be life-threatening.

After being treated, Price-Williams was taken to the Okaloosa County Jail, where he was booked on a charge of premeditated murder, the sheriff’s office said.

“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.”

©2022 Cox Media Group