Who was Jesse Campbell? Staten Island man with BB gun shot dead by off-duty cop, had long rap sheet of 22 arrests

Jesse Campbell, 44, who was gunned down by an off-duty officer in Staten Island, was previously arrested for petit larceny, narcotics and other crimes.

Published on: Aug 17, 2025, 07:39:10 IST

By Sumanti Sen

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

A BB gun-wielding man who was shot dead by an off-duty cop in Staten Island had various run-ins with the law, it has been revealed. Jesse Campbell had a lengthy rap sheet of at least 22 arrests, including one for assaulting police, law enforcement sources revealed, according to the New York Times.

Campbell was gunned down after pointing a realistic looking BB gun at the officer just after 8 pm Friday, August 15. The 44-year-old is believed to have told his mother and sister that he intended to be killed by police hours before he was spotted outside of Andrew’s Diner in Eltingville, carrying the BB gun.

Who was Jesse Campbell?

Campbell was previously arrested in 2023 on second-degree assault charges for throwing a “porch bin” at a pair of NYPD officers. At the time, he pleaded guilty. Until earlier this month, he participated in Mental Health Treatment Court as part of the plea deal, a spokesperson for the Staten Island District Attorney’s Office said, per the outlet.

Campbell had previously also been arrested for criminal trespassing, petit larceny, and narcotics.

A local resident claimed that Campbell had “some problems,” but insisted that he “was a good kid.” “I think he was just drunk or something, probably running around joking around with a BB gun, and I guess whatever happened, happened,” the man said.

He added, “His mother and father are great people, good family. He’s not all there mentally, he’s got some problems. His brother, 15 years ago, got hit by a car, got paralyzed. He’s been dealing with that.”

Another man, who identified himself as a relative of Campbell, said that his death has left the family “all damaged up.” “It’s heartbreaking,” he said.

Police reportedly have video of two off-duty cops ordering Campbell to drop the BB gun outside of the eatery. One of the officers eventually ended up firing several rounds. Campbell was rushed to Staten Island University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics along with Horoscope 2026.