HANOVER COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — The Hanover County Sheriff’s Office has charged a man who was shot by a deputy responding to a domestic disturbance in the Ashland area on Oct. 4.
According to police, 34-year-old Nathan Dean Hamon has been charged with one felony count of assault on a law enforcement officer and one misdemeanor count of domestic assault.
Police say around 12:15 p.m. on Oct. 4, the Hanover County Emergency Communications Center received a 9-1-1 call from a home on the 10300 block of Shellie Lee Drive reporting that Hamon was acting “out of control” and attacking the home’s occupants with a baseball bat.
Police say screaming and yelling could be heard in the background during the 9-1-1 call, and that the caller provided information about drug use, saying it was the catalyst for the assault. The caller also said Hamon claimed to have a firearm, though they had not seen it.
Deputies responded to the home after having been made aware of the assaults, as well as the possible drug use and possible firearm, according to police. The responding deputies were also told that Hamon had left the home and that his whereabouts were unknown.
The first deputy to make it to the scene saw Hamon standing in the driveway. According to police, Hamon was acting agitated and made threats to kill the deputy while obscuring his right hand behind his back.
The deputy took out his firearm and began to give verbal commands to Hamon, who refused to comply and retreated closer to the home. The deputy put his firearm back in its holster and took out his stun gun, at which point Hamon displayed a knife which he had been hiding behind his back, according to police.
The deputy began to retreat when he saw the knife, while still holding his stun gun and trying to give Hamon verbal commands. Police say Hamon began to approach the deputy, who then deployed the stun gun, hitting Hamon in his upper torso.
Police say Hamon pulled the stun gun probe out of his body and continued towards the deputy with the knife while making more threatening statements. Hamon then began running towards the deputy, who then took out his firearm and fired three rounds at Hamon, hitting him twice.
The second deputy made it to the scene just after Hamon was shot, according to police. The two deputies provided medical aid to Hamon as Hanover Fire and EMS responded to the scene to take him to VCU Medical Center.
According to police, the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office has “thoroughly examined” the case and does not plan to pursue any charges against the deputy.
This incident is still under investigation and the 9-1-1 call and deputies’ body camera footage will not be released until “the conclusion of the court process” according to police.
