OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. — The man charged with killing an Okaloosa County deputy on Christmas Eve 2022 pleaded guilty to first-degree murder on Thursday as part of a plea deal.

As part of the deal, the state will not seek the death penalty for 45-year-old Timothy Paul Price Williams.

First-degree murder in Florida carries a mandatory minimum sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

The State Attorney’s Office says they recently spoke to Corporal Ray Hamilton‘s family about the plea deal proposed by the defense.

“In recent weeks, the defense made an offer to the State that the defendant would enter a plea in exchange for the State not seeking death,” a release states. “This offer was relayed to Hamilton’s family and after much thought and consideration, the family indicated they wanted to accept this offer.”

Williams waives all rights to appeal as part of the deal.

The State Attorney’s Office says this is about “ensuring finality, and sparing the family from reliving the tragic events of Ray’s death in a courtroom for years to come.”

Sentencing is set for Aug. 28 at 9 a.m. at the Okaloosa County Courthouse Annex Extension, in Fort Walton Beach.

Price Williams was accused of shooting and killing Corporal Hamilton on Christmas Eve 2022 as he responded to a domestic violence call at a home in Fort Walton Beach.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office says during the response, Price Williams refused to leave the home and began firing shots out of a window.

Hamilton was struck by one of the bullets and taken to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

This is a developing story. Check back here for updates.