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)