The Virginia man accused of killing his wife and a rookie officer told the arresting officer that he "ruined his life" and asked another to shoot him, testimony revealed Tuesday.
The capital murder case against Ronald Hamilton is moving forward to a grand jury after a judge heard testimony from the officer who arrested Hamilton and the first person to interview him.
The three police officers were shot responding to a domestic violence call at Hamilton’s Woodbridge home Feb. 27. Rookie Officer Ashley Guindon was killed her first night on the job. Two other officers were wounded. Hamilton's wife, Crystal, was found dead upstairs.
One of the first officers to respond to that call testified he saw Ronald Hamilton poke his head out the front door, retreat and then stick out his empty hands.
"I said, ‘Put your hands up and come outside,’” Prince William County Police Officer Anthony Pharaphan said. “I was screaming it at the top of my lungs."
Inside the house, Pharaphan spotted an AK-47 and a spent shell casing.
But Sgt. Joseph Medawar gave the most critical testimony. He was the first to question Hamilton as he sat in the back of a squad car.
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Medawar testified Hamilton started crying and said, “I ruined my life," and asked him to take out his gun and shoot him.
Medawar said he read Hamilton his Miranda rights then began asking questions to make sure there wasn't a second shooter in the home.
Medawar said when he asked why Hamilton shot his wife, Hamilton said the two had been arguing. Then he pressed about why Hamilton shot the officers.
"He said he didn't know," Medawar testified.
"He said he thinks he snapped and he might have PTSD,” Medawar testified.
Hamilton served in both Iraq and Afghanistan before returning to work at the Pentagon, but when Medawar asked Hamilton if a doctor diagnosed him with post-traumatic stress disorder, Hamilton replied, “No, but I think I have it.”
At one point, both of them could see a bleeding Guindon receiving treatment on the sidewalk. Hamilton asked if the officers were OK, Medawar didn't answer.
