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

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.

Who was Jesse Campbell? Staten Island man with BB gun killed by off-duty cop (Unsplash – representational image)

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.

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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.”

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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.