Oct. 3 was the 20th anniversary of the murder of Charles Campbell in Dobbs Ferry by former New York City police officer Richard Diguglielmo.
I remember this racially charged lynching by Diguglielmo and his father over a parking space at the Venice Deli. An acquaintance of mine lived right up the street from where this happened and heard the yelling and screaming and then the gunshots by this police officer, ending the life of 37-year-old Charles “Chazz” Campbell.
Campbell had parked his vehicle in front of the deli in order to get pizza across the street.
The elder Diguglielmo came out in an aggressive tone and said, “You can’t park here.” Campbell said he was leaving shortly and an argument ensued where Richard Diguglielmo came out and they started to attack Campbell, calling him a “n- – – – – ” in the process. They were beating on Campbell when Campbell went to get a baseball bat from the trunk of his car in order to defend himself. This police officer got his gun and shot Campbell several times, killing him.
From November 1996 until May 1997, I went every Saturday, along with many others, to demonstrate against this racist and violent act that unfortunately has been the modus operandi of many white police officers when dealing with black men and men of color. I went to two of the court proceedings in White Plains, where I met Al Sharpton. Jeanine Pirro prosecuted the case against Digugliemo and he was found guilty of “murder with depraved indifference” and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
I had a chance to talk to Campbell’s fiancée at the time, Vanessa Maldonaldo, William Campbell, his brother, and meet the parents of Anthony Baez and see the pain and anguish that this type of unjustified killing brings to the family of the victims.
