Father of killed Wayne County deputy calls last 24 hours 'the worse I have ever experienced'

WAYNE COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced Tuesday morning that a deputy had died a day after being shot while serving papers in Wayne County.

Sgt. Matthew Fishman was in critical condition Monday evening with his family by his side in the hospital. Cooper announced his death during the Council of State meeting.

"Today I want us to adjourn this meeting in honor of Wayne County Sgt. Matthew Fishman and all of our law enforcement officers who are courageously doing their jobs and have been injured and killed in the line of duty." Gov. Cooper said.

Fishman's father took to Facebook to share his feelings and thank the people praying for his family.

"These last 24 hours have been the worse I have ever experienced. Yet, God is still with me and my family," he wrote.

Wayne County confirmed the news a short time later with the following statement from Public Information Officer Joel Gillie:

"It is with profound sadness that we report that Sgt. Matthew Fishman has passed away from injuries sustained in the line of duty yesterday."

Gillie said Fishman had been with the sheriff's office since December 2010. Before that, he worked for the Mount Olive Police Department.

Fishman is survived by his wife and two children.

Dave Fishman is the pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in Goldsboro.

"He loved his children, loved his sons, and proud of him being in law enforcement," Pete Williams, pastor at Adamsville Baptist Church, said of the fallen deputy.

Williams said Matthew died doing what he loved.

"He was doing what he loved and he knew it was dangerous," Williams said. "And I'm proud of him but at the same time, it's just senseless."

Senseless as the deputies were injured while serving involuntary commitment papers. Jourdan Hamilton, 23, fatally shot himself after an hours-long standoff in Dudley.

Wayne County Sheriff's Office said three deputies were shot while serving involuntary commitment papers Monday morning prompting the standoff that ended Monday evening at a home in Dudley.

Corp. Andrew Cox and deputy Alexander Ramon Torres were both taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Torres was released from the hospital Tuesday afternoon.

Torres has been with the sheriff's office since June 2018; Cox joined the group in June 2020.

Hamilton was at home near the intersection of Arrington Bridge Road and Emmaus Church Road on Monday when the officers arrived at his home around 10:30 a.m. to serve him the involuntary commitment papers.

After several hours of a standoff, SWAT team members entered the home and found Hamilton dead from what they described as an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Cameron Devereux, who said he's a former classmate, said Hamilton was an "outgoing guy, easy to like."

"Had his issues like anyone else but nothing too alarming," Devereux told ABC11. "This is a tragedy and it sucks that it ended like this ... the guy I knew wouldn't have done this."

Monday's shooting prompted some residents to share what more needs to be done in addressing mental health in Wayne County.

"It starts at home," Goldsboro resident Raymond Houpe said. "We need more outlets for the youth."