“As a career policeman, I scrutinized the viral video and was mistaken several times when I thought/felt the Philly cop should have stepped in and arrested Ms. Campbell.”
There is little surprise nowadays when some members of society publicly lambaste police officers performing their duty. It seems personal responsibility for poor behavior is deflected. Vulgar language spoken to cops is not unheard of. But one might expect that the standards for an on-air TV reporter in the metropolis of Philadelphia would include presenting herself professionally, lawfully, and well-spoken—not like a foul-mouthed woman whose character exuded evil. That woman’s barrage of obscenities hurled at a Philly cop compelled almost two million viral views since June 4, 2017.
So what happened in the city of brotherly love?
Colleen Campbell, a now-unemployed 28-year-old TV reporter in Philadelphia, threw her career away while millions cringed listening to her repertoire of curse words, pornographic (ahem) assertions, and graphic disdain for the law enforcement profession. The target of Ms. Campbell’s invective and hate-fueled persona was a Philadelphia policeman working the beat outside of Helium Comedy Club, a venue from which Ms. Campbell was expelled after refusing to hush her tone during comedic acts and for haranguing three club employees trying to keep the peace.
Turns out, the joke was on Campbell. One of the comics visiting from New York City, Wil Sylvince, recorded and uploaded Ms. Campbell’s inexplicable outburst. And that was her ultimate undoing and perhaps final performance.
As a career policeman, I scrutinized the viral video and was mistaken several times when I thought/felt the Philly cop should have stepped in and arrested Ms. Campbell. With the deliberation of a Mother Teresa, the solitary police officer calmly repeated for Ms. Campbell to walk away, to just leave. Maybe her loud invective drowned out his discretionary free pass to depart. Too bad for her.
Some of the transcript of Ms. Campbell spewing graphic language at the Philly cop is as follows, with redactions:
“You’re all pieces of s— and that’s why everybody hates you. Because you do s— like this for no f—ing reason.” The policeman calmly asked if she had ID, to which Ms. Campbell bellowed, “Yes, I have ID on me, I’m not a f—ing piece of s— like you that just gets a badge.”
From in front of the club, the policeman peered down the street; his expression altered slightly. He then moved in to click-click handcuffs around Ms. Campbell’s wrists as a marked Philly police cruiser pulled up along with the police paddy wagon. Ms. Campbell’s arrest affidavit contained the following charges: resisting arrest, criminal mischief, and disorderly conduct. After viewing the viral clip, can you guess which charge is most obviously applicable?
One of Ms. Campbell’s final remarks was her seeming pride by saying, “I work at a f—ing news station, motherf–cker,” after which she utters PHL 17. Well, technically true at that moment—but changes came swiftly (before she was released from jail). Her employment declaration went from present tense to past tense in the time it took to slap on Philly’s finest bracelets.
When Reality Strikes
According to Philadelphia Magazine, Ms. Campbell “becomes unhinged” at the Philly cop, the GRAPHIC video of which they posted on their website, along with a brief synopsis of what happened. Philadelphia included that an off-camera assault on a police officer was added to Ms. Campbell’s charges after she was arrested by “the world’s most patient cop.” Per Philadelphia Magazine, “Campbell, a recent Temple University graduate, allegedly assaulted him. Police say that she kicked him repeatedly and also kicked the doors and windows of a police car.”
But wait, there’s more! Police criminal report affidavits contain the additional charges of “simple assault, terroristic threats, hindering apprehension, and failure to disperse.” Sylvince, who originates from Haiti, offered the following speculation:
“Can you imagine what the situation would have been if she had been black and it had been a white cop? But these are two different worlds that we live in.”
After her release from county jail, Ms. Campbell allegedly posted the theories for her behavior on her Facebook and other social media accounts. To explain her bizarre behavior, Ms. Campbell claimed she had only one drink and that someone must’ve slipped her drugs. According to editors at Philadelphia, they saw those posted suggestions before all of Ms. Campbell’s social media pages were deleted. She also told Philly that viewing the viral video was like “watching a whole different me.” That is a testimonial. At least she didn’t deny it was her.
What she cannot watch is any of her archival reports on PHL 17. Besides her employment, station executives purged her bio and station portfolio of stories in which she was the TV reporter.
A NY Daily News report indicated that while in jail, Ms. Campbell requested being transported to the local hospital for drug testing, to which the jail nurse allegedly replied, “that would delay everything.” One drink. A few drinks earlier in the day. Shots before the comedy show. Bartending earlier on Sunday, before showtime. Someone slipping her drugs, making her “foggy.” I saw/heard nothing “foggy” about her hateful, graphic rant.
So many notions at the behest of a woman who painted herself into a corner—a tight one—all of which will make for intrigue when the case comes to court on June 13, 2017.
The drugs may provide unbridled courage, but not necessarily the thoughts themselves. With her array of vulgar vocabulary, the brain unleashed filed thoughts. The drawer of disdain was opened. To point fingers elsewhere is nothing more than an act of desperation to mitigate obnoxious behavior leading to feeling “ruined and embarrassed.” Ultimately, Ms. Campbell brought this on herself. Consequently, she herself can atone and re-establish. She already started by claiming she wishes to “apologize to the officer.”
I think it does this article justice to conclude with emphasis on the perfect calculations, poise, and deliberation of the Philadelphia policeman who provided Ms. Campbell every opportunity to behave humanely and merely walk away. Too bad her arrogance and ignorance denied being given a chance by the discretionary authority of justice.
