PO John Painter
Officer: Bridgewater College Police Department, Police Officer John Painter
Date: 2/1/2022 Location: Rockingham County, VA FACTORS (1,2,4,9,15,19)13?
Perpetrator(s) Involved: Alexander Wyatt Campbell
Criminal Activity History/Involved: Yes, Campbell previously had an arrest warrant for trespassing on the Bridgewater College campus in 2017. / Yes, Campbell was trespassing and then murdered the officers when they confronted him about it.
Mental Illness: Yes, Campbell’s mother described him as “mentally ill”.
Substance Abuse History/Involved: Unknown. / None stated.
Race/Sex/Age: White/Male/27
What prompted the initial contact with the killer? At around 1:20 p.m. on February 1, 2022, Bridgewater College Police responded to a 911 call of an unknown man trespassing on the college campus. Upon arriving in the area, Police Officer John Painter and Campus Safety Officer J.J. Jefferson encountered that man, Alexander Campbell.
Actions taken by subject toward police: After exchanging some words, Campbell fatally shot both officers and then fled the scene.
Reactions by the police: Campus police received numerous 911 calls about the deadly shooting, locked down the campus and started a search for the active shooter. Campbell tried to flee across a shallow water body but the police tracked him down and arrested him at gunpoint.
How murdered? Officer Painter was shot at close range while handling a 911 call of a suspicious man on campus.
What could have been done differently for the officer to still be alive? Since multiple firearms connected to Campbell were recovered, and without bodycam video or further information, it is impossible to know if Campbell was already holding a gun in each hand inside his pocket when confronted by the officers.
Would the officer have been justified to use deadly force before being murdered? No matter the situation, officers will want to see a subject’s hands, and until they do see them and see they are not holding a weapon, they should be on alert and prepared to quickly draw their duty weapons and use deadly force.
Outcome for the cop-killer: Campbell was arrested shortly after and faces numerous felony charges.
