WINNSBORO – A local television station reported that Winnsboro resident Andrew Campanelli, 31, charged with assaulting a police officer at the Fairfield County Detention Center on Oct. 8, claimed a reflex caused him to jump in the air and head-butt Winnsboro Public Safety Department (WDPS) officer Peter Jackson.
In his version of the incident, Jackson alleged in the second of two incident reports, that when he placed his hands on Campanelli’s right shoulder, Campanelli jumped into the air, swinging his head back and intentionally hitting Jackson under the left eye. Jackson charged Campanelli with resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer while resisting arrest.
A report submitted by SLED agent Bobby Bancroft, obtained through a Freedom of Information request, stated that Campanelli claimed Jackson twisted his (Campanelli’s) handcuffs which caused a reflex that made him jump into the air and head-butt Jackson and that Jackson then body slammed him on the ground. Bancroft noted that Campanelli ‘confirmed’ this information.
But each of these recollections, even those attributed to Campanelli, differ from the video which can be viewed on The Voice’s Facebook page (thevoicepaper).
Campanelli had already been arrested before he arrived at the Detention Center and, as seen in a video of the Detention Center incident, Campanelli’s hands were cuffed behind his back when he allegedly jumped into the air, unassisted, hitting his head against the officer’s before traveling through the air about three feet, hitting a wall face-first, then crashing into a chair as he fell to the floor.
Campanelli told The Voice in an interview on Oct. 21 that he had not seen the video of the incident nor had anyone described it to him at the time he was interviewed by the SLED agent. Campanelli said he did not know, at the time of the SLED interview, that he had been propelled several feet through the air into the wall.
The V
oice has submitted a Freedom of Information request to SLED for details of the SLED agent’s interview with Campanelli.
Jackson initially arrested Campanelli and charged him with assault, 3rd degree, for allegedly throwing two bottles of Mountain Dew at a convenience store clerk when she would not take Campanelli’s expired driver’s license for ID to purchase a pack of cigarettes. Campanelli was released on a $275 bond. Both Campanelli and the store clerk have told The Voice that he did not throw the bottles, but swiped them off the counter with his arm. The clerk told The Voice that she was hit by one of the bottles. The Voice has submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Winnsboro Public Safety Department for the convenience store video as well as Jackson’s body cam video of Campanelli’s arrest.
Campanelli’s public defender, Geoffry Dunn of Rock Hill, has asked for a jury trial for the assault/3rd degree charge that will be heard in the Winnsboro magistrate’s court, but is not yet scheduled. Dunn said Campanelli’s case was referred to him by Fairfield County’s public defender’s office because of a conflict of interest, but that he does not know what that conflict consists of.
Dunn is also representing Campanelli against the charge of resisting arrest/assaulting a police officer which will be heard in General Sessions Court in Winnsboro, but is not yet scheduled. Campanellli was released on a $3,000 bond on that charge.