In Headland, Alabama, a tragic chain of events unfolded on Friday, April 24, 2009, leading to the death of 38-year-old William Dexter Hammond, a male who served as a Chief Investigator with the Headland Police Department. The day took a fatal turn when a call came in about a man brandishing a shotgun outside his residence.
Henry County Sheriff's Deputy Ted Yost was the first to arrive at the scene on County Road 55. Upon his arrival, he was met with gunfire from the suspect, 53-year-old Fred Davis, and was seriously wounded. Responding to the urgent call of an officer down, Investigator Hammond arrived shortly after. As he was taking up a defensive position near the suspect's trailer, Davis fired a high-powered rifle, fatally wounding Hammond.
The violent encounter did not end there. As more law enforcement officers arrived, they also came under fire from Davis. The officers returned fire, and in the ensuing exchange, the suspect, Fred Davis, was shot and killed. The wounded deputy, Ted Yost, was transported to a local medical center and ultimately survived his injuries.
Investigator Hammond, a 16-year veteran of law enforcement and the former police chief of nearby Midland City, was remembered as a hero who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. As the sole perpetrator was killed at the scene, no arrests were made in connection with the death of William Dexter Hammond.
