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Ex-TV news producer who ranted at Philly cop pleads no contest

Colleen Campbell, 28, will enter a pretrial diversion program, with anger-management counseling and continuing mental-health treatment.

PHL 17 reporter Colleen Campbell was arrested after launching into a profane verbal assault of a Philadelphia police officer.
PHL 17 reporter Colleen Campbell was arrested after launching into a profane verbal assault of a Philadelphia police officer.Read moreFacebook

A former part-time PHL17 TV news producer, whose obscenity-laden June 4 rant at a Philadelphia police officer outside a comedy club was caught on video and went viral, has pleaded no contest to resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, and entered a pretrial diversionary program.

Colleen Campbell, 28, of Woodbury, entered the plea Tuesday during a hearing before Municipal Court Judge Henry Lewandowski III.

Assistant District Attorney Lauren Katona said Campbell pleaded no contest under the city's Accelerated Misdemeanor Program-2, which lets people charged with nonviolent misdemeanor crimes complete a court-ordered program of treatment and, if not rearrested, petition to have the criminal record expunged.

Katona said the judge ordered Campbell to undergo anger-management counseling and continued mental-health treatment, and pay $216.50 in fines and costs. The judge set Aug. 22 for a hearing to report on Campbell's progress.

Campbell was ejected from the Helium Comedy Club on Sansom Street in Center City for rowdy behavior. Once outside, she hurled a tirade of expletive-laden insults at a

patient, somewhat bemused police officer, then kicked him in the leg as he led her to his patrol car and into custody.

Campbell publicly apologized for her conduct afterward and said she had been subjected to thousands of threatening messages. She also was fired from her job at PHL17.