Jail wasn’t the place Brandon Hill wanted to be, but he doesn’t look too upset about it.
Eleven days after the armed suspect was shot in the chest by Richmond County Deputy David Hopkins, the suspect was moved from Doctors Hospital to the Charles B. Webster Detention Center. That’s where he showed his pearly whites for a booking photo early Monday.
The jail website spells out the charges he is facing, including aggravated assault upon a police officer, weapon possession, terroristic threats and acts and more. He is being held without bond.
Last week, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Deputy Hopkins was justified in shooting Hill. They released dramatic video of the shooting, including the officer’s heroic efforts to save him.
While suffering a gunshot wound to the chest, Hill repeatedly confirmed that he had no intention of shooting Deputy Hopkins. He said he wanted to get shot because he was “tired of life,” “wanted to die,” and “didn’t want to go to jail no more.”
An independent review by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office Regional Force Investigation Team concluded that Hopkins acted lawfully and in accordance with department policy.
The incident unfolded on March 13, when Deputy Hopkins confronted 31-year-old Brandon Pierre Hill, a felon with a violent criminal history, near Glenn Hills Middle School. Hill allegedly pointed a handgun at the deputy during an attempted arrest. Hopkins responded by firing five shots, striking Hill in the chest.
Hill, who had stolen a firearm earlier in the day during a domestic dispute, is also a suspect in the 2021 murder of 21-year-old Jamari McClinton at Baldwin State Prison, where he was serving time for robbery and other felonies.
The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office released a clearance letter detailing the events leading up to the shooting. The letter confirms that Hill had been ordered to show his hands, but instead drew a handgun and pointed it at Hopkins, prompting the deputy to use deadly force.
The investigation concluded that the shooting was justified under Georgia law.
The findings of the investigation, along with body and dash camera footage, were shared with the District Attorney’s Office, which concurred with the conclusions.
