Woman’s ex-boyfriend accused of kidnapping her from work, killing her during standoff with police

HAMPTON, Ga. (WANF/Gray News) - A kidnapping incident that started late Sunday night in Fayette County ended with the death of a 19-year-old woman outside a high school in Clayton County, authorities said.

According to the Fayetteville Police Department, at 11 p.m. Sunday, Fayetteville Police were dispatched to a kidnapping in progress call at the Wingstop restaurant on North Glynn Street in Fayetteville. They say several 911 calls were received advising that a man had entered the restaurant and taken his ex-girlfriend, an employee of the restaurant, at gunpoint and left in a red Chevrolet Camaro.

While responding to the call, an officer with the Fayetteville Police Department spotted a vehicle matching the description and began to follow it to confirm its involvement. The vehicle began to flee from the officer in the area of Banks Road in Fayetteville, which led to a vehicle pursuit that eventually left Fayette County and entered Clayton County via McDonough Road, according to officials.

Fayetteville Police say the vehicle turned into the driveway of Lovejoy High School where officers performed a Precision Immobilization Technique, or PIT, maneuver to stop the vehicle and end the pursuit.

When the vehicle stopped, the suspect fired several shots inside the vehicle and additional shots at officers, striking their vehicle multiple times with the officers still inside, officials said.

The officers were able to jump out and take cover. The officers then began telling the suspect to leave the vehicle, which was ignored.

The Fayette County Sheriff’s Department says deputies deployed an irritant into the suspect’s vehicle, and he jumped out and was quickly taken into custody. The female victim was located inside the vehicle with several gunshot wounds and died from her injuries.

The suspect, identified as 20-year-old Cameron Ja’Michael Hopkins, of Albany, is being charged with kidnapping and aggravated assault by the City of Fayetteville Police Department. The Clayton County Police Department is handling the homicide investigation, which occurred inside Clayton County, and additional charges are expected there.

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