TV reporter fired after obscene tirade against police officer in viral video
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
(Philadelphia Police Department )
A night out for a reporter ultimately led to her unemployment.
Philly Mag reported Tuesday PHL 17 reporter Colleen Campbell was fired after she was arrested outside of Helium Comedy Club Sunday night for assaulting a police officer. The incident was caught in a now-viral video posted on social media by New York-based comedian Wil Sylvince.
The 28-year-old was asked to leave the venue after multiple warnings for disrupting a show featuring comedian Craig Robinson with her loud whispering. She then allegedly got into a fight with bar staff while on the way out.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
DOG CRASHES LIVE RUSSIAN NEWS BROADCAST
Campbell was then filmed telling police “you guys are f---ing dictators… you f---ing c—k suckers” outside of the venue. She then added, “I did not do s—t, I stood there and laughed like the rest of the audience like I should. I did not disrupt anybody.”
The officer, who remained calm, told Campbell and her male guest to walk away. This only enraged Campbell. She was then caught calling the officer a “f---ing piece of s—t” and attempting to spit on the face of a man standing nearby.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
“What’s that called? What’s that called? Assault? Show me videotape,” she said after being handcuffed. “You can’t. That’s why everybody hates you guys! You can’t prove it!”
'GAME OF THRONES' STAR SOPHIE TURNER DENIES USING N-WORD IN VIRAL VIDEO
She then shouted at the officer to stop tasering her, despite him insisting he was only handcuffing her. Campbell also declared she worked for a news station.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
The publication added there are charges pending against Campbell, including “simple assault, terroristic threats, hindering apprehension, and failure to disperse.” In addition, two of the charges she’s facing are third-degree felonies.
Campbell later told the magazine she was allegedly drugged.
“Everything was foggy,” she said. “I do remember coming in to Helium. I do remember getting into an altercation there, but I don’t remember what it was about. I only had two drinks at Helium. I feel awful.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
"That’s not me or how I speak or how I talk or how I was raised. I had to delete all my social media, because I’m getting threats. I wanna apologize to the officer. I don’t remember the whole altercation at all. I remember feeling attacked. I would never talk like that. It was like watching a whole different me.”
In a statement sent to FOX 29 by her spokesperson, Campbell said, "My actions on that video are not the result of a handful of drinks spaced out over a couple of hours. I believe I may have been unknowingly drugged at some point that night. I did not receive medical testing while in custody because, as I recall, I was advised by personnel at the police station that such testing would delay the process of my being released."
Spokesman Wayne Pollock added Campbell has been "the recipient of thousands of lewd and threatening phone calls, texts, messages, and emails ranging from angry, profane, and defamatory insults to deeply disturbing sexual and violent threats."