SGT. Matthew Fishman
Officer: Wayne County Sheriff's Office, Sergeant Matthew Fishman
Date: 8/2/2022 Location: Dudley, NC FACTORS (1,4,5,7,15)
Perpetrator(s) Involved: Jourdan Hamilton
Criminal Activity History/Involved: Yes, Hamilton was charged with resisting an officer in 2019 and communicating threats in 2021. / Unless Hamilton illegally possessed the weapon, there was no crime involved before he ambushed the officers.
Mental Illness: Yes, Hamilton was being served involuntary commitment papers because someone believed he was a danger to himself and/or others. Additionally, Hamilton committed suicide which is a key indicator.
Substance Abuse History/Involved: Unknown. / None stated.
Race/Sex/Age: Black/Male/23
What prompted the initial contact with the killer? At around 10:30 a.m. on August 1, 2022, three deputies from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence to serve involuntary commitment papers on Jourdan Hamilton.
Actions taken by subject toward police: Hamilton ambushed the deputies, shooting them when they arrived at the house. Sgt. Fishman was fatally wounded and died from his injuries the next day. Corporal Andrew Cox and Deputy Alexander Torres were treated for their gunshot wounds at ECU Health Medical Center and are expected to survive.
Reactions by the police: Officers from numerous agencies surrounded the house during a nine-hour standoff. When SWAT officers eventually made entry into the house, they found Hamilton dead from a self-inflicted gunshot.
How murdered? Sgt. Fishman was ambushed and fatally shot while serving involuntary commitment papers.
What could have been done differently for the officer to still be alive? Such involuntary commitment papers are served all the time without incident and there was “nothing to indicate” Hamilton would react so violently. Had the deputies been warned by family/friends that Hamilton was armed and/or violent, they might have approached the situation differently.
Would the officer have been justified to use deadly force before being murdered? NA, the deputies were ambushed and shot before they ever had a chance to use deadly force.
Outcome for the cop-killer: Hamilton took his own life during the standoff with police.
Miscellaneous: Hamilton is the type of mentally ill subject those looking to defund the police would have social workers and mental health professionals deal with, believing he is not a ‘threat’.
