Police Officer John Painter

February 1, 2022

Police Officer John Painter and civilian Campus Safety Officer J.J. Jefferson were shot and killed while responding to a call involving a suspicious person carrying a duffel bag a restricted area of Memorial Hall.

Officer Painter and CSO Jefferson contacted the subject. After a short interaction, the man opened fire on them, fatally wounding both. The man fled on foot into the town of Bridgewater. He was taken into custody after wading onto an island in the North River.

The man was a former student who had been trespassed from the campus in 2017. He was charged with two counts of capital murder and additional felonies related to the incident.

Officer Painter had formerly served as the police chief of the Grottoes Police Department.