Town Council member charged with battery of police officer at apartments
BROOKVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — A Brookville Town Council member faces a felony charge of battery of a police officer after a fight was reported at an apartment complex, the Franklin County prosecutor says.
Charles E. Campbell, 62, and his wife, Donna K. Campbell, 56, also face misdemeanor charges of resisting law enforcement. The charges were filed this week.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Brookville Police Department shortly before 11:25 p.m. July 11 responded to a report of a fight in the 1300 block of Fairfield Avenue. That’s the Riverfront Apartments along the Whitewater River just south of State Road 101.
The Republican councilman told News 8 by email on Tuesday, “With respect to the incident Tuesday morning involving my family and the police, I want to say how sorry I am how things turned out. My intentions that night/morning, was to be a good father to my daughter. I apologize those aspects of my personal life have gone public and I hope to resolve the case as soon as possible. This event in no way impacts my dedication to serving the people of Brookville as part of the Town Council. I am committed to making this town the best it can be for all its citizens. I’m asking for your patience and understanding as this gets resolved.”
Charles also told News 8 that his wife only learned about her charges through news reports. She is scheduled for an initial court hearing on Aug. 16, according to Franklin County Prosecutor Christopher D. Huerkamp.
The investigators at the apartment complex were talking to people when Charles approached them “while clinching a wooden club in his hand,” according to court documents.
The documents say Charles spoke to the police. “Charles stated ‘If you guys won’t do anything about this I will.’ and (sic) he began charging forward toward us angrily.”
The police say they told Charles to stop and to drop the club, but he did not. Police say they took Charles to the ground, where he received a cut to his eyebrow, but he continued to clutch the club and resist. Charles was warned he would be tasered, and he said, “Tase me then,” the court documents say. As the Taser began to charge, Charles complied and was handcuffed.
Donna tried to interfere, the documents say, and was ordered to back away. That’s when Charles kicked a deputy twice in the leg, the documents say.
Police eventually secured both Campbells on the ground.
Charles later was checked at a hospital for his injury. On the way to the hospital, Charles told a deputy that “he wasn’t trying to come after us with the club but he was trying to scare or intimidate the juveniles his daughter was having issue with,” the documents say.
Later that night, he was taken to the Franklin County Security Center, and later posted bond for his release. Donna was not taken into custody on that night.
Charles’ initial hearing is set for July 26, the prosecutor says. Huerkamp also says investigations are underway in regard to other incidents at the Riverfront Apartments on the same night.
News 8 reached out to the Franklin County Security Center for Charles’ jail-booking photo and was told it was closed until 8 a.m. Wednesday.
Brookville is in Franklin County, which sits on Indiana’s eastern border. The town of more than 2,600 people is about a 90-minute drive southeast from downtown Indianapolis.