California man facing child sex charges kills himself as authorities closed in

A Chico man being investigated for child sex crimes slashed himself to death Wednesday in a Bidwell Park parking lot as Butte County authorities tried to arrest him.

Justin Hampson, 44, turned the knife on himself outside the Chico Creek Nature Center in the 1900 block of East 8th Street, where Butte County District Attorney’s investigators attempted to take him into custody on a warrant alleging child molestation and rape, according to the Butte County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff’s officials in a statement said Hampson pulled out a blade as the investigators approached him about 3 p.m. and began to repeatedly slash his throat. One of the investigators fired non-lethal beanbag rounds at the man to try to subdue him, but Hampson fled. He collapsed from his wounds a short distance later.

Hampson was taken to Enloe Medical Center in Chico where he was pronounced dead.

Butte County Sheriff’s Office and Chico Police Department are jointly investigating the incident.

Darrell Smith

The Sacramento Bee

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Darrell Smith is a local reporter for The Sacramento Bee. He joined The Bee in 2006 and previously worked at newspapers in Palm Springs, Colorado Springs and Marysville. Smith was born and raised at Beale Air Force Base and lives in Elk Grove.