North Augusta officer found not guilty
A former North Augusta Public Safety officer was found not guilty of a criminal domestic violence charge lodged against him late last year that resulted in his termination from the department.
Brandon L. Cameron, 27, was arrested on Nov. 18, 2009, and suspended from his post as a Public Safety officer later that day; however, officials later terminated him for conduct unbecoming an officer, according to department officials.
Cameron said he was told he didn't cooperate fully with the internal investigation, but denies those allegations, saying he answered all questions posed to him by the department.
Cameron had worked at the department for three years.
Public Safety spokesperson Lt. Tim Pearson said he could not comment further on the reason the officer was fired, saying it was a personnel issue.
The department did notify the criminal justice academy of his arrest and termination, which Cameron said means he will have to file an appeal if he is hired as an officer.
He said he hopes to work with another agency and put the incident behind him.
According to a report filed with the sheriff's office the day of the arrest, tempers flared between Cameron and his live-in girlfriend about 10:15 the morning of Nov. 18. Cameron called 911 from the parking lot of the Windsor Fire Department after an argument between the two escalated.
Cameron said there were guns in the car and that he took a gun from her and put it into the vehicle during the incident, according to reports.
She then got into the driver's side and sat down, he said, so he grabbed her by her left arm and attempted to pull her out of the vehicle.
Deputies had said that Cameron's story changed several times when they asked him to explain what happened, but he said he was trying to protect his girlfriend at the time.
He said that he was forthcoming with his own agency.
Cameron was found not guilty after a jury trial that he said began at 9 a.m. Tuesday and lasted until 4 p.m.
He said the jury deliberated for less than a half hour.
According to the incident report, the woman was upset that Cameron was going to jail and wanted to pull her statements from the investigation; however, in February, Cameron was charged with a second domestic violence charge involving the same woman.
That charge is unrelated to the November arrest.
Cameron said he expects he will be exonerated of that charge, too.
Contact Karen Daily at kdaily@aikenstandard.com.