Isaac Hamilton Held on $500,000 Bond After Newport Duplex Shooting
The 25-year-old faces a murder charge for a fatal dispute with a neighbor that began with banging on a shared wall.
By Naomi Tesfaye ·
Isaac Hamilton, 25, is being held at the Campbell County Detention Center on a murder charge with a bond set at $500,000. He is accused of shooting and killing a neighbor outside a duplex on East Seventh Street in Newport.
The incident occurred just before 11:30 p.m. on Oct. 23. Newport police responded to reports of a fight between two men living in the same duplex. Officers arrived to find one man lying on the sidewalk. They began CPR before paramedics transported him to UC Medical Center, where he died.
Police have not released the victim's name to respect the family's privacy. Loved ones state they do not believe the shooting was self-defense and describe the victim as defenseless at the time.
911 call records obtained by FOX19 NOW detail the events leading up to the gunfire. An anonymous witness reported that the men were arguing, with one banging on the other's wall. Hamilton told dispatchers he was sitting on his porch when the confrontation turned physical. "I was sitting on my porch and he punched me in my face," Hamilton said in the call.
In the police report, Hamilton stated he became scared and fired two rounds at the victim. Witnesses told investigators that Hamilton shouted, "If you hit me, I will shoot you," before the shots were fired. During the call, dispatchers asked Hamilton where the weapon was located. "Bod bless, I love you guys. Yeah, it's under my dresser. The police can walk right in and grab it," he replied.
Capt. Drohan of the Newport police confirmed the timeline of the response. The investigation remains active. Police are urging anyone who saw or heard anything that night to contact the department or the Campbell County tip line at 859-261-8477.
Hamilton is scheduled to return to court Thursday afternoon.
Source: WXIX-TV
