New details and video footage have emerged regarding the shooting incident in January where Robert Lee Campbell was fatally shot by a Greenville County sheriff’s deputy.
The incident occurred on January 26 at the intersection of South Piedmont Highway and Cemetery Street.
The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office released its “Critical Incident Community Briefing” on Tuesday, a standard practice following law enforcement-involved shootings, to provide transparency and information to the public.
According to the sheriff’s office timeline, the events leading up to the shooting unfolded as follows:
At 10:52 p.m., two 911 calls were received reporting an assault by a man identified as Larry Simmons outside Simmons Towing. The caller later reported that Simmons had fled the scene with a girl hanging halfway out of the car.
By 11 p.m., deputies had arrived at the scene but were informed that Simmons had already left.
At 11:15 p.m., deputies encountered an armed man, believed to be Simmons, who was hiding behind a truck.
Despite repeated identification as law enforcement officers, the armed individual, later identified as Robert Lee Campbell, fired a shot at deputies.
In response, one deputy returned fire twice, fatally striking Campbell, who was declared dead at the scene.
A loaded 12-gauge pump shotgun was found near Campbell, while Simmons was apprehended nearby and charged with third-degree assault and battery for the initial assault reported in the 911 calls.
The Greenville County Sheriff’s Office stated that Campbell, who was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition, was not involved in the initial assault reported in the 911 calls.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) was summoned to investigate the incident, as per standard protocol for law enforcement-involved shootings.
Sheriff Hobart Lewis affirmed that both SLED and the 13th Circuit Solicitor’s Office would continue their investigations to determine the legality of the deputy’s actions.
Following an internal investigation by the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office’s Office of Professional Standards, it was concluded that the deputy’s use of deadly force was justified, and the deputy has since returned to duty.