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80-Year-Old NYC Man Fights Off Mugger with .38

Aired November 06, 2003 - 14:16   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: An 80-year-old New Yorker is missing $262 today, and he's facing criminal charges, but he's alive. And to many of his neighbors, he's a hero.
We get the story from Marcus Solis (ph) of CNN affiliate WABC in New York.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lester Campbell's eye is bloodshot, his cheek purple -- injuries he suffered Monday when he was robbed of $262 in social security money. Campbell had just cashed his check and gone to the supermarket near his house when a mugger followed him into elevator of his building. What the thief didn't realize was the 80- year-old was packing heat. Campbell pulled out a .38-caliber handgun, and a fierce struggle ensued.

LESTER CAMPBELL, MUGGING VICTIM: He was trying to keep the barrel away from him, twisting and turning, seeing about how I was going to pull it. See, I lose some grip, and that's when he started twisting and twisting it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The mugger had knocked Campbell to the ground and ripped his pants grabbing for his wallet. The retired security guard fired one shot that hit the side of the elevator and ricocheted up into the ceiling. The elevator stopped on the third floor, where the suspect ran out and Campbell cried out for help.

ERNEST MCKENZIE, CAMPBELL'S NEIGHBOR: You just to watch out, out here, man. It's dangerous.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (on camera): You think he was defending himself.

MCKENZIE: Oh, sure. I mean, you get mugged, man, in the elevator? Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police, however, arrested Campbell and charged him with misdemeanor criminal possession of a weapon. The octogenarian admits he knew the gun was unlicensed, but insists he did nothing wrong.

CAMPBELL: He had no business doing that. I'm minding my business. See, I don't bother nobody.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The way I see it, if he didn't have the gun, probably something would happen to him, serious. And at the same time, he has to be licensed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.






Aired November 6, 2003 - 14:16   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: An 80-year-old New Yorker is missing $262 today, and he's facing criminal charges, but he's alive. And to many of his neighbors, he's a hero.
We get the story from Marcus Solis (ph) of CNN affiliate WABC in New York.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lester Campbell's eye is bloodshot, his cheek purple -- injuries he suffered Monday when he was robbed of $262 in social security money. Campbell had just cashed his check and gone to the supermarket near his house when a mugger followed him into elevator of his building. What the thief didn't realize was the 80- year-old was packing heat. Campbell pulled out a .38-caliber handgun, and a fierce struggle ensued.

LESTER CAMPBELL, MUGGING VICTIM: He was trying to keep the barrel away from him, twisting and turning, seeing about how I was going to pull it. See, I lose some grip, and that's when he started twisting and twisting it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The mugger had knocked Campbell to the ground and ripped his pants grabbing for his wallet. The retired security guard fired one shot that hit the side of the elevator and ricocheted up into the ceiling. The elevator stopped on the third floor, where the suspect ran out and Campbell cried out for help.

ERNEST MCKENZIE, CAMPBELL'S NEIGHBOR: You just to watch out, out here, man. It's dangerous.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (on camera): You think he was defending himself.

MCKENZIE: Oh, sure. I mean, you get mugged, man, in the elevator? Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police, however, arrested Campbell and charged him with misdemeanor criminal possession of a weapon. The octogenarian admits he knew the gun was unlicensed, but insists he did nothing wrong.

CAMPBELL: He had no business doing that. I'm minding my business. See, I don't bother nobody.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The way I see it, if he didn't have the gun, probably something would happen to him, serious. And at the same time, he has to be licensed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.