Chatham County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle parked outdoors with agency markings.
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Suspect Killed, Deputy Wounded as Chatham County Hostage Rescue Turns Violent

Phyllis Coley @phyllis_coley

PITTSBORO, N.C. — A violent hostage situation in Chatham County ended Tuesday with the suspect dead and a sheriff’s deputy shot, according to officials. Deputies stormed a home along Pittsboro Goldston Road after determining a hostage inside was in immediate danger, triggering a high-risk rescue that left one deputy injured and the armed suspect deceased.

Hostage Situation Begins With Armed Standoff

The incident unfolded Tuesday afternoon at a residence in the 8000 block of Pittsboro Goldston Road, where deputies encountered an armed suspect barricaded inside with a hostage.

Concerned that the individual inside faced imminent harm, deputies breached the home to conduct a rescue.

The hostage was safely removed from the scene and is not injured, the sheriff’s office said.

Suspect Identified as Kevin Dean Hammer

Booking-style photo of Kevin Dean Hammer with visible head injury after hostage situation.
Kevin Dean Hammer, 50, of Goldston, was identified as the armed suspect in Tuesday’s hostage incident. He died during the confrontation, officials said.

Officials identified the suspect as 50-year-old Kevin Dean Hammer, of Goldston.
Hammer died during the incident; investigators have not yet released details regarding his exact cause of death.

Deputy Shot During Rescue Effort

Portrait of Chatham County Senior Deputy Matthew Mitchell in uniform in front of an American flag, shot during hostage situation.
Senior Deputy Matthew Mitchell, wounded during a hostage rescue in Chatham County, is expected to fully recover. (Photo: CCSO)

Senior Deputy Matthew Mitchell, who has served with the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office since 2020, was struck by gunfire during the rescue.

Mitchell sustained gunshot wounds to his arm and leg and was transported to a local hospital.

His condition is stable, and he is expected to make a full recovery, according to the sheriff’s office.

SBI Leading Independent Investigation

The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) has taken over the officer-involved shooting component of the case.

“Our agents are on scene collecting evidence,” the SBI said in a statement.

Further updates will be released as investigators analyze the sequence of events leading up to Hammer’s death.