Police bodycam footage from a traffic stop involving sports reporter Dianna Russini reveals a different sequence of events than what she later recounted on a podcast. Four months after Russini claimed she avoided a ticket by FaceTiming the officer's favorite NFL coach, bodycam video shows she did not make any phone calls but did name-drop several professional football coaches.
During the seven-minute, 10-second recording, Russini, 43, told the officer she was an NFL reporter who had just broken the news of coach Sean McDermott's firing from the Buffalo Bills. She stated she had intended to pull over to make calls related to her work, describing it as an emergency.
Russini also mentioned speaking with former New York Giants coach Brian Daboll, who she said wanted the coaching job in Buffalo. She asked the officer about his NFL allegiance, inquiring if he favored the New York Jets or Giants. The officer responded that he was a fan of the Minnesota Vikings. Russini then showed the officer text messages from the Vikings' head coach, Kevin O'Connell.
The officer, acknowledging the demands of her profession, opted to issue a warning instead of a citation. He advised her to try and wait until she got home to make calls and quipped, "Keep me up to date with the Vikings, OK? Let me know if [they’re] gonna get a new quarterback."
In a February podcast appearance, Russini had presented a different narrative. She told listeners that she asked the officer if he wanted to speak to the coach and suggested he talk to him, alleging that the coach then told the officer to "let her go" because she was a "good citizen."
The discrepancy gained renewed attention following a New York Times report that also touched on Russini's past association with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel. The Times piece confirmed that Vrabel was not the coach Russini allegedly contacted during the traffic stop. Previously, Page Six had published photos of Russini and Vrabel, who are both married to other people, together on multiple occasions dating back to 2020.
The Ridgewood Police Department issued a statement regarding the incident, noting that the use of officer discretion, including issuing warnings, is consistent with department policy and promotes community-oriented policing.