An armed standoff and hostage situation near Goldston on Tuesday afternoon ended with the hostage safely recovered, one Chatham County Sheriff’s Office deputy injured, and the suspect dead.
The office issued an alert shortly before 5 p.m. warning residents about a hostage situation along Pittsboro Goldston Road near its intersection with U.S. Highway 421. At the time, law enforcement described a person barricaded inside a residence and one Chatham County Sheriff’s deputy being shot, injured and transported to a hospital for treatment. An update shortly after 6:30 p.m. said there was no longer an “active threat,” although it did not detail how the incident with the barricaded person and hostage was resolved.
Shortly after 9 p.m., the sheriff’s office released another update sharing additional details, including deputies being called to the residence — 8247 Pittsboro Goldston Road — for an armed standoff. The situation escalated to a hostage rescue scene, according to authorities, with deputies eventually entering the residence “after developing serious concerns for the hostage’s safety.”
Tuesday’s most recent update identified the deceased suspect as 50-year-old Kevin Dean Hammer, who has a different address in Goldston than the residence where the incident happened. The release did not say law enforcement was responsible for Hammer’s death nor did it immediately provide a cause.
The update also identified the injured Chatham County Sheriff’s deputy: Senior Deputy Matthew Mitchell, who has served with the office since Jan. 2020. Mitchell suffered gunshot wounds to his arm and leg, with the sheriff’s office saying he is in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery.
Senior Deputy Matthew Mitchell. (Photo via the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office.)
The Chatham County Sheriff’s Office thanked the North Carolina Highway Patrol, the Moore County Sheriff’s Office, and FirstHealth EMS for their assistance in responding to Tuesday’s standoff and hostage situation. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation will conduct an independent investigation of the incident following Mitchell’s injury which is standard for officer-involved shootings, according to the sheriff’s office.
Pittsboro Goldston Road was closed for several hours during law enforcement’s response and as it finished its initial investigation. As of Tuesday at 9 p.m., the road had reopened.
On Thursday, Dec. 18, Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson made a post from his official Facebook page to provide more insight into the aftermath of the incident. He detailed how his office recognizes the ways both a hostage situation and officer-involved shooting can create “complicated, heavy” emotions and that “the experience does not end when the scene is secured.”
“Beyond the headlines are people…victims, deputies, families, coworkers, and neighbors…working through the mental and emotional aftermath while continuing to heal and move forward,” Roberson wrote. “We are grateful for the life saved and the hostage rescued. We mourn the loss of life. We are thankful our deputy is recovering. And we remain committed to the mental and emotional recovery of everyone touched by that day, understanding that true healing takes time, patience, and compassion.”
Editor’s Note: The original story was updated on Friday, Dec. 19 to include Mike Roberson’s comments.
Featured photo by Brighton McConnell/Chapel Hill Media Group.
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
