On November 19, 2021, at approximately 10:00 p.m., Greensboro Police Department K9 Officer, Matt Hamilton, was involved in an officer-involved shooting while responding to a call for service. Officer Hamilton and his K9 partner, Hoyt, were dispatched after a female reported that a person she knew was attempting to break into her home. She told dispatch she was afraid of the individual.
The suspect fled to a detached shed at the rear of the property, where he barricaded himself among furniture and boxes. Four days prior, the suspect had been involved in a barricade and standoff with a partner law enforcement agency and was found to be in possession of multiple high caliber firearms. He was a convicted felon and had previously stated he would not return to jail.
Officer Hamilton deployed K9 Hoyt into the shed to apprehend the suspect and followed behind. While inside, Officer Hamilton observed an object in the suspect’s hand that appeared to be a handgun and saw the suspect point it toward him. Fearing for his life and the life of his K9 partner, Officer Hamilton fired one shot, striking the suspect and stopping the threat. The suspect was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Following the incident, Officer Hamilton was placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure after a critical incident, pending a full investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). After completing its investigation, the SBI presented its findings to the Guilford County District Attorney’s Office. The District Attorney elected to present the case to a grand jury, which returned an indictment charging Officer Hamilton with voluntary manslaughter. Officer Hamilton was subsequently terminated from his position, resulting in the loss of his pension and benefits.
After four years and thousands of dollars in legal expenses, Officer Hamilton’s case went to trial on January 12, 2026. The District Attorney’s Office presented its case to a jury over the course of approximately two weeks. At the close of the District Attorney's Office evidence, Officer Hamilton’s defense attorneys filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that the evidence presented, failed to meet the legal elements of the charge. The judge agreed and dismissed all charges, citing lack of evidence to continue.
Throughout this ordeal, Matt and his wife, Sandy, endured significant emotional stress and financial hardship. They were forced to fund the legal defense out of pocket and still carry a substantial balance owed to his attorneys, who worked tirelessly to defend his freedom.
Matt served the Greensboro Police Department for 15 years and was a member of the department’s Special Response Team. Your donation - no matter the amount - will help relieve the remaining financial burden on a law enforcement family who have sacrificed everything in the line of duty. Please consider supporting Officer Hamilton as he works to rebuild his life and move forward.
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Critical Incident
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Cause Details
Critical Incident
On November 19, 2021, at approximately 10:00 p.m., Greensboro Police Department K9 Officer, Matt Hamilton, was involved in an officer-involved...
On November 19, 2021, at approximately 10:00 p.m., Greensboro Police Department K9 Officer, Matt Hamilton, was involved in an officer-involved shooting while responding to a call for service. Officer Hamilton and his K9 partner, Hoyt, were dispatched after a female reported that a person she knew was attempting to break into her home. She told dispatch she was afraid of the individual.
The suspect fled to a detached shed at the rear of the property, where he barricaded himself among furniture and boxes. Four days prior, the suspect had been involved in a barricade and standoff with a partner law enforcement agency and was found to be in possession of multiple high caliber firearms. He was a convicted felon and had previously stated he would not return to jail.
Officer Hamilton deployed K9 Hoyt into the shed to apprehend the suspect and followed behind. While inside, Officer Hamilton observed an object in the suspect’s hand that appeared to be a handgun and saw the suspect point it toward him. Fearing for his life and the life of his K9 partner, Officer Hamilton fired one shot, striking the suspect and stopping the threat. The suspect was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Following the incident, Officer Hamilton was placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure after a critical incident, pending a full investigation by the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). After completing its investigation, the SBI presented its findings to the Guilford County District Attorney’s Office. The District Attorney elected to present the case to a grand jury, which returned an indictment charging Officer Hamilton with voluntary manslaughter. Officer Hamilton was subsequently terminated from his position, resulting in the loss of his pension and benefits.
After four years and thousands of dollars in legal expenses, Officer Hamilton’s case went to trial on January 12, 2026. The District Attorney’s Office presented its case to a jury over the course of approximately two weeks. At the close of the District Attorney's Office evidence, Officer Hamilton’s defense attorneys filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that the evidence presented, failed to meet the legal elements of the charge. The judge agreed and dismissed all charges, citing lack of evidence to continue.
Throughout this ordeal, Matt and his wife, Sandy, endured significant emotional stress and financial hardship. They were forced to fund the legal defense out of pocket and still carry a substantial balance owed to his attorneys, who worked tirelessly to defend his freedom.
Matt served the Greensboro Police Department for 15 years and was a member of the department’s Special Response Team. Your donation - no matter the amount - will help relieve the remaining financial burden on a law enforcement family who have sacrificed everything in the line of duty. Please consider supporting Officer Hamilton as he works to rebuild his life and move forward.
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