re: Fatal officer involved shooting off Jefferson Hwy

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So what you're saying is the prices of those houses is about to drop?

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The sheriff’s office said it will not release the deputy’s name. WBRZ, though, confirmed the name of the deputy through multiple sources and a series of public record requests. The WBRZ Investigative Unit was able to identify the deputy as James Hammett. Hammett was the only deputy to be put on leave the day of the shooting and returned to administrative duty on September 30. He remains on administrative duty, according to personnel files obtained through the WBRZ records request which requires public documents be made available for viewing.

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In the statement released by the sheriff’s office Thursday, the agency said video and eyewitnesses described Watkins being on a dangerous warpath when Hammett responded to a 911 call for help at a home in the 16700 block of Highland Club Avenue. The sheriff’s office said video from the scene shows “shortly after the deputy arrived on scene, the suspect turned his vehicle in the direction of the deputy and accelerated while disregarding verbal commands from the deputy to stop. As the suspect vehicle accelerated toward the deputy, the deputy was forced to flee backward into a neighboring yard as he was blocked in by his parked vehicle and the suspect’s vehicle. As the deputy fled backward he fired shots into the vehicle.” Watkins died on the scene.

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