Antonio Hammond, 28, was convicted Tuesday on charges including kidnapping and burglary after holding a two-year-old girl hostage for approximately five hours. The incident occurred in 2023 when Hammond broke into the home of Michele Peters while she was celebrating Memorial Day with her three children.
Hammond, who was fleeing police after allegedly attempting to shoot officers when confronted about a concealed firearm, told Peters he intended to use her daughter as a shield to prevent police from killing him. He clutched the toddler in one hand and held a gun in the other, engaging in a tense negotiation with the distressed mother.
Video released by the district attorney's office captured fragments of the ordeal. In one exchange, Peters pleaded, "I'm trying, but you got my pride and my joy," referring to her daughter. Hammond, visibly frightened himself, implored Peters to "trust in God" and not him, stating, "They're trying to kill me."
He asserted that authorities would not shoot him while he was holding a child. "Your baby is so safe," he insisted. "God ain't going to hurt no baby."
During the standoff, Peters managed to communicate with the outside, informing authorities that she did not know Hammond and that he was holding her child and possessed a gun. Hammond allowed Peters to leave with her eldest daughter, who had escaped earlier, and her youngest child, but retained the two-year-old.
Tactical Response and Arrest
A SWAT team responded to the scene. Using a drone, officers observed Hammond lying on a mattress with the child held under a blanket and the firearm in his other hand. When Hammond noticed the drone, he reportedly pointed the gun at the child and then at tactical equipment. Officers breached the rear of the home while Hammond was focused on the front. During a struggle to apprehend Hammond and secure the child and the weapon, officers shot Hammond in the head. He was subsequently restrained, and aid was rendered. The child was safely recovered.
Hammond was convicted of kidnapping, burglary of an occupied residence, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and carrying a firearm without a license. He was acquitted of aggravated assault.
Hammond is scheduled for sentencing on September 30 and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. His attorney, Michael Palermo, stated that they plan to appeal and that Hammond denies attempting to shoot at officers, attributing the events to "split second decisions that ended in chaos." Palermo also indicated that Hammond maintains the child approached him after he entered the home. Peters has stated she will attend the sentencing and hopes Hammond will receive mental health treatment.