Back in February, former NFL insider Dianna Russini let on that she had talked her way out of a ticket by having the cop FaceTime his favorite football coach. While appearing on the Stugotz and Company radio show, she insinuated that when stopped for using her phone while driving, she dropped some names and pulled some strings and got away scot-free.
It turns out that might not actually be the whole truth. Bodycam footage obtained by The Center Square largely disproves her story.
The seven-minute-long footage of the traffic stop shows just what unfolded as Dianna Russini wriggled and impressed her way out of a ticket, her second in a few weeks, she said in the video. Using her professional talent for spin and charm, she managed to get away with just a verbal warning, and in no small part due to her connections.
However, her claim that she had gotten out of the ticket by letting the cop FaceTime his favorite coach was completely made up. The cop’s integrity is still intact, although the footage does raise some other questions.
On The Job
As the cop approaches the passenger side window of Russini’s car, she is clearly in the middle of something. A quick apology is followed by a string of excuses as she explains that she’s an NFL reporter and a huge story has just dropped.
“I just broke that [coach] Sean McDermott got fired from the Bills. And that’s what I was just sending to send, a tweet,” she explained, presumably hoping that the cop thinks sports news is more important than road safety. “I have to make calls. I know you don’t care, but I’m just letting you know my reason why. It was a work thing, and it was an emergency for what I do.”
The cop, undeterred initially by her claim to football fame, pointed out that she had been on the phone for a while. This was no quick call, and he wasn’t convinced that she was planning to pull over as she stated.
But she persisted with the football chat, asking about his favorite team. When she found out it was the Vikings, she showed off texts she had with the head coach. Sure, it wasn’t a FaceTime, but it seemed to do the trick.
Just Be Better
The cop, impressed by her contacts, still stuck to his job. Far from being bowled over by her contact list, he continued to remind her that she had broken the law and was driving dangerously. He let her know that this time she wouldn’t be getting a ticket, but she needed to be more careful.
“I’m gonna cut you a break on the cellphone. I understand your job requires you to be on the phone a lot. Just try to wait ‘til you get home, OK?”
So, sure, the interaction hadn’t gone quite as she let on, and the cop had really just been an understanding guy, but who can blame a journalist for adding a little flair to their stories?