HIV-Positive Man Sentenced for Spitting on Cop

An HIV-positive homeless man who spit on a police officer in Dallas was sentenced to 35 years in prison on Wednesday for harassing a public servant with a deadly weapon.

Willie Campbell spit in the mouth and eye of the police officer, before telling him that he is HIV-positive. Because of the deadly weapon finding, Campbell will not be eligible for parole until 17 years into his sentence, according to TheNew York Times.

Campbell was found unconscious on the street in 2006. He fought with paramedics and police who arrested him for public intoxication. None of the officers Campbell fought contracted the virus.

During the trial, prosecutors said that Campbell has been HIV-positive since 1994. His attorney Russell Henrichs said that Campbell did not resist arrest or spit on the police officer. Campbell's sentence was increased from 25 years because he was previously convicted of attacking two other police officers, biting two inmates, and other offenses. (The Advocate)

Click here to follow The Advocate on Twitter. Page 1 of 1

READ COMMENTS (4) MORE \ EMAIL PRINT

RECOMMEND

Reader Comments

Back to top
Name: Lee
Date posted: 5/19/2008 12:11:00 PM
Hometown: New York

Comment:
HIV can not be transmitted through saliva - where were the experts at this trail? The Prosecutor should be prosectuted.
Back to top
Name: B
Date posted: 5/19/2008 10:25:00 AM
Hometown: Austin

Comment:
1) This is Texas 2) People are stupid Not everyone in Texas is stupid. Not everyone in Texas agrees with the fascist politicos and court systems. Instead of insulting us, how about giving us a hand in trying to change things for the better down here.
Back to top
Name: William OBrien
Date posted: 5/19/2008 7:22:00 AM
Hometown: NY, NY

Comment:
Alan Jones is correct, HIV does not survive long in the saliva, nor would there be any risk of infection in the absence of frank bleeding (via gums/tongue/cheek) in the man's mouth... however, 1) this is Texas and 2) people are stupid. It sounds like this homeless man has a few active psych issues as it is, and our treatment of mental illness in this country is horrible. At best, this man needed an inpatient admit to a psych facility for polysubstance abuse - but the "HIV as a deadly weapon" is just a reflection of a larger problem in this case.
Back to top
Name: Alan Jones
Date posted: 5/17/2008 3:01:00 AM
Hometown: Biloxi MS

Comment:
"...harassing a public servant with a deadly weapon." Who in this legal proceeding decided spitting is deadly? HIV is not present in saliva. Spitting is certainly rude but hardly a deadly act.

PREVIOUS 1 NEXT

More Online Only

Commentary Progress in the Midwest
A city native and strong supporter of Kalamazoo's effort to keep an anti-discrimination law reflects on a hard-won campaign.

Commentary What Marriage in Maine Meant for Me

Dana Hernandez is a straight white married mother of two young children. But in campaigning for No on 1 and reporting Election Night outcomes for Advocate.com, defeat hit her like a ton of bricks.

Marriage Equality Terri White Stages Her Leather Encore

Last year, acclaimed stage performer Terri White was homeless and living in a public park. On Sunday, she and her partner held a leather-themed commitment ceremony onstage following her triumphant Broadway turn in Finian’s Rainbow.

Music Ghost Story

Out singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile discusses working with her childhood mentor, coming out publicly, and joining next year's Lilith Fair.

News View From Washington: GOP Upheaval

Now that the only pro-marriage equality candidate in New York's 23rd Congressional district, Republican Dede Scozzafava, has dropped out of the race, Tuesday's election holds any number of political lessons for both the GOP and the LGBT community.

Books Hot Sheet: Ditto Knocking 'Em Dead

This week might not bring anything to the screen other than a Boondock Saints sequel, but there are plenty of reasons to sit at home on the couch or head to your local concert venue.

News Features Sailor Speaks Out
Sailor Joseph Rocha endured years of hazing until he spoke out — then he was discharged for revealing his homosexuality. Nonetheless, the 23-year-old is itching to suit back up.

Music Rainbow High

Busy Broadway heartthrob, gay rights activist, and former Advocate coverboy Cheyenne Jackson chats about his Finian’s Rainbow revival, his politically charged cabaret CD, and laying around in his underpants (pic on page five).

Marriage Equality For Maine, The Time is Now
Money is on their side and the polls look optimistic, but volunteers fighting to preserve marriage equality in Maine are prepared for a fight to the finish.

Television Another Tough Broad

After being outed by a Nazi and locking lips with a hook-up three times in one episode, Christine Woods's tough-talking FBI agent Janis Hawk on ABC's FlashForward might just be prime time's best gay offering — who isn't in Glee club, that is.

Books In Sickness and in Health

Mary Cappello’s memoir Called Back takes readers on a white-knuckle journey through the experience of cancer treatment in America — especially disorienting to navigate as a woman and a lesbian.

Books An American Crime

Best-selling novelist Patricia Cornwell made headlines last week when she filed suit against a New York investment firm for losing $40 million of her money. But she'd much rather talk about her new book, hate-crimes legislation, and Angelina Jolie.

Comedy Gilded Lily

After conquering Broadway, movies, and television, out funny lady Lily Tomlin prepares for the final frontier — Las Vegas.

Entertainment News Ricky Martin, No Shirt and a Baby
Ricky Martin knows how to get the camera's attention. Take a look at the many pictures of Ricky uploaded to his Twitter account in the past three months, always shirtless, frequently carrying one (or both) of his babies.

Television Fresh Blood
With True Blood a bona-fide cultural phenomenon, producer Alan Ball offers tantalizing hints about what to expect on season 3.