Burlington Police Officer Cory Campbell violated departmental rules last year when he swore at Douglas Kilburn in the moments before an altercation that led to the 54-year-old man’s death, police said Friday.
Campbell received a written reprimand for his conduct but remains a “valued member of this department,” Acting Chief Jon Murad said in a Friday afternoon press release.
The encounter between Campbell and Kilburn outside the University of Vermont Medical Center last March escalated quickly once Campbell yelled for Kilburn, who was arguing with private security from the driver’s seat of his SUV, to “shut the fuck up and leave.”
Kilburn responded, “You ain’t got a right to swear at me, motherfucker!” opened his car door, and struck Campbell in the face.
Campbell returned several bone-breaking punches that the state medical examiner said contributed to Kilburn’s untimely death a few days later.
Vermont Attorney General T.J. Donovan announced in November that he would not bring criminal charges against Campbell. But the AG did criticize the officer’s handling of the situation.
Burlington police started its internal probe into Campbell’s conduct following Donovan’s decision. At the time, then-police chief Brandon del Pozo told Seven Days that the review would focus on Campbell’s profanity and was unlikely to lead to suspension or termination.
That review is now complete. Friday’s announcement stated that Campbell’s language was “not directed at Mr. Kilburn’s character nor identity, but was instead used as an emphatic in an otherwise lawful order.”
Nonetheless, Campbell broke a rule barring officers from using “violent, insolent, or obscene language” during interactions with the public.
The department also said Campbell needed “retraining,” but concluded that the officer completed sufficient training during his prolonged period on administrative duty as the criminal investigation progressed. He’s been back on full duty since early November.
Some members of Kilburn’s family have faulted Campbell for escalating the encounter.
“It is clear to me that Officer Campbell’s aggression and his foul, vulgar mouth are what provoked this incident,” Kilburn’s uncle, Albert, told Seven Days last year.
Read the press release below:
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BRADD, Campbell swore at him first then they exchanged fists…
This has nothing to do with Trump and everything to do with the culture at the BPD in Vermont’s most liberal city. It would be more accurate to say this is not surprising because we’ve seen the filthy, disgusting & overt corruption that was rampant under Obama’s watch, and the blatant abuse of power, from the FBI, CIA and all the way down to the BPD, CIty Hall and now being cleaned up in the White House after years of corruption.
Liberals don’t know what accountability is, that’s why members of Shumlin’s admin went on to nice, cozy jobs after dropping the ball and enabling the Jay Peak EB-5 scandal. Even Shumlin practically stole his neighbor’s house and property, and liberals returned him to Montpelier to enable him further. Bob Kiss and Jonathan Leopold have never been held accountable for breaking the law and funding BT to the tune of $17M.
You keep voting for liberals and you’ll keep getting the same kind of incompetence and corruption.
Hopefully we learn with time not to simply react but to give thoughtful consider to situations that arise. People who wish to understand this incident would do well to take advantage of the body camera worn and review the entire interactions from start to finish. Then try to imagine yourself as both the officer and those responsible for the officer regarding the interactions taken in a drawn-out trying situation with a difficult and troubled individual.
Oh, yeah. Anyone who doesn’t see this event exactly as you do is a fascist bootlicker. Way to go.
Sounded like he went quite a bit beyond defending himself, anyone who says different is a fascist sympathizer/boot licker. Just disgusting. Shame on this state. We’re supposed to be better than this.
Hurray, thankfully Campbell is being treated fairly. Hope he didn’t hurt his hands. 🙂
You’ve got that right NORTH!
Don’t punch a police officer and not expect him to defend himself.
Bad Cop No ‘Roids. Bad! Bad!
So , at best, BPD will wash officer Campbell’s mouth out with soap. Big deal. But not surprising in these Trumpian times. Blatant abuse of power is the main ingredient now.
Those in authority get away with all kinds of things with near zero accountability or worse, simply defying the laws in place to act as checks on their authority so they don’t become tyrants, whether in a cop car or in City Hall or in the White House.