Dianna Russini’s scandal with Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel took a new turn on Tuesday as bodycam footage from one of her traffic stops was made public.
Russini had previously bragged about FaceTiming an NFL coach to get out of a possible ticket on the February 6th edition of the ‘Stugotz and Company’ podcast. However, her story did not hold up at all when compared to what had actually happened.
Veteran NFL analyst Mike Florio addressed this mixup, claiming Russini getting caught in her lies could lead to her not finding any jobs in the news industry in the future. Florio claimed that it is ‘practically impossible’ for Russini to be a journalist again, as this situation will cause trust issues.
“I’ve gone from believing it’s practically impossible for her to be a journalist again, an insider again. I’m now starting to wonder whether or not she’s employable in any capacity in the media. And look, again, I want to go far enough to satisfy my role. I don’t want to go too far. But who’s going to hire her? If you can’t trust anything someone says, are you going to hire them?” (@11:15)
According to bodycam footage, Russini simply asked the police officer about their favorite NFL team, to which the officer responded; the Minnesota Vikings. Russini then proceeded to show the officer a text chain with head coach Kevin O’Connell before eventually escaping a fine for using her phone while driving.
Ridgewood Police Department Addresses Officer’s Traffic Stop
While the bodycam footage revealed that the police officer let Dianna Russini drive away scot-free despite the former NFL insider making use of her phone while driving, the Ridgewood Police Chief addressed the interaction through a statement on Tuesday.
Forest Ross Lyons claimed that the concerned police officer’s actions were in line with the Ridgewood Police Department protocols, and the use of a ‘verbal warning’ was justified in this situation.
The statement read:
“After following department protocol during the stop, and reviewing Ms. Russini’s driving history, the officer exercised his professional discretion and issued a verbal warning to Ms. Russini.
“The use of officer discretion in determining whether to issue a warning or a citation is consistent with Ridgewood Police Department policy and longstanding practice. Police officers are encouraged to use their judgment and, when appropriate, provide motorists with warnings as part of the Department’s commitment to fair, impartial, and community-oriented policing.”
Russini has not addressed any of the speculation about this particular incident as she maintains her distance from all social media platforms since she stepped down from her position at The Athletic.
Read More:
$6.65Bn Worth NFL Franchise Joins In On LeBron James Banter After Lakers Exit
Brendan Sorsby Shares Heartfelt Statement As NFL Supplemental Draft Saga Comes To End
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
