Jim Hamilton was born on March 6, 1929. He spent a year with Preston Police Department before joining the Ontario Provincial Police on November 12, 1952. He had worked on the force for almost 15 years at Sarnia, Grand Bend, Sault Ste. Marie, Guelph and Markdale before coming to Listowel.

Constable Hamilton was working on Saturday August 17, 1967, after he had switched shifts to help out a fellow officer.

One year earlier a local Amish Mennonite from the area had been exhibiting signs of irrational behaviour and during this period this man had frequently struck his wife.

On August 19, 1967, this local man had quarrelled with his wife and she left the farm and told their two sons to stay away from the place. She called the O.P.P. and wanted them to check on the safety of the two boys who were out in the fields somewhere on the farm.

Constable Hamilton took the call. A friend of Constable Hamilton, a magistrate from the area came along for the ride that day as he frequently did in case he was required to sign documents, saving the O.P.P. members travel time.

The two men did not see the boys when they drove up to the lane leading to the farm. The marked cruiser was still in gear, approaching the buildings when the farmer opened fire through a window in the house with his 8mm Mauser rifle. He shot Constable Hamilton through the window of the moving car and also killed his passenger.

After receiving no answer from the house, a tear gas-assisted entry was made by police. Inside the farmhouse, the farmer was found dead from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

Jim was the father of five children.