A 39-year-old murder fugitive killed Sunday by a Sacramento County sheriff's detective was shot in the back, Placer County authorities said Thursday.
David Kenneth Hamilton was shot by the deputy outside a Roseville motel, hours after detectives said he and an accomplice killed a 76-year-old man in his Foothill Farms home before setting the house on fire.
An autopsy revealed that Hamilton died of a gunshot wound to his chest, but that the bullet entered through his back, the Placer County Sheriff's Department said.
The Roseville Police Department is investigating the shooting and will turn its findings over to the Placer County district attorney. Their investigation could take weeks, a spokeswoman said.
Sacramento Sheriff John McGinness said Hamilton ran from deputies outside the motel on Harding Boulevard. During the chase, Hamilton turned in the direction of an officer and reached for his waistband, the sheriff said.
Fearing for his life, the detective fired a single gunshot, striking Hamilton, authorities said.
Roseville police spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther said Hamilton was unarmed, but that police found a flashlight and other items on his body.
McGinness said Thursday it is "absolutely plausible" that the detective opened fire when Hamilton turned to face him and that a split-second delay on the part of the officer could have led to Hamilton being shot in the back.
"The suspect was moving, and it was a very fluid situation," McGinness said.
The autopsy finding "does not mean that the statement of the detective (that Hamilton turned in his direction) is inaccurate," McGinness said.
The name of the 41-year-old detective has not been released. He is a nine-year veteran of the department and has been placed on administrative leave. An internal investigation by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department continues.
Hamilton and Daniel Norman, 41, were suspects in the killing of Wilbur Reynolds, whose body was found inside his home Sunday afternoon. The home had been set on fire.
Detectives said Hamilton and Norman – neighbors in Citrus Heights – robbed Reynolds and burned his home in an attempt to cover their tracks. Reynolds had recently rented a room to Hamilton, who had an extensive criminal record and had evaded authorities since October in a domestic violence case.
After the alleged homicide and arson at Reynolds' Rambler Way home, tips from neighbors led Sacramento County sheriff's detectives to the Heritage Inn in Roseville just before midnight Sunday. Hamilton was trying to flee in the motel's parking lot when he was shot, authorities said.
At the same time, Norman was being questioned in connection with Reynolds' homicide. He was eventually arrested and is facing murder, arson, robbery and burglary charges, according to court records.
Call The Bee's Ryan Lillis, (916) 321-1085.
