Wayne sheriff: 'Nothing to indicate' man would be hostile before he shot 3 deputies, killing 1
Wayne County Sheriff Larry M. Pierce said Wednesday that his deputies had "nothing to indicate" that a man who they were serving an involuntary commitment order would become hostile.
However, Jourdan Hamilton's criminal record paints a different picture.
Hamilton, who authorities say shot three deputies on Monday morning during a 9-hour stand-off, had several run-ins with law enforcement before killing Sgt. Matthew Fishman.
Hamilton was arrested in May 2021 for communicating threats and in November 2019 for resisting an officer.
Pierce said all three deputies sent to Hamilton's house were wearing bullet-proof vests and had completed what he called "critical incident training."
In North Carolina, there are several avenues that one can be involuntarily committed to a facility for inpatient treatment.
According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, if a person shows signs of psychiatric illness or substance use that indicate a potential danger to themselves or others, a person or clinician can apply for an involuntary commitment order.
Pierce did not say who filed the commitment order or why, citing laws that protect health privacy.
Hamilton shot himself in his home during the stand-off, authorities said.
Fishman had served for the Wayne County Sheriff's Office since December 2010. He died of his injuries a day after the shooting.
The other two deputies are expected to make a full recovery.
Gov. Roy Cooper mentioned Fishman's death during a Council of State meeting on Tuesday morning, offering his condolences and ordering all North Carolina flags and U.S. flags to be lowered to half-staff in recognition of his service and his passing.
Fishman was 38 years old and the son of a pastor of a Goldsboro church. He was married and a father to two children.
"I have lived for 62 years, six months and three days," Fishman's father, Pastor Dave Fishman, said in a Facebook post.
"However, these last 24 hours have been the worst I have ever experienced."
Pete Williams, a family friend of the Fishmans, said being in law enforcement was something Matthew Fishman had dreamed of since he was a child.
"Even though it's sad and the family's in a fix this morning, and it's just terrible, we know that we'll see Matthew again," said Williams. "We have hope, and that can never be taken away from us. It never can."
The sheriff's office is asking the community to pray for the families involved.
In his comments on Wednesday, Pierce again thanked the other law enforcement agencies, officers and responders who offered support during a the nine-hour standoff before Hamilton, 23, was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot.
