Former NFL reporter Dianna Russini’s account of a traffic stop in Ridgewood. New Jersey, has unraveled under the scrutiny of newly released police bodycam footage. The video, posted by Adam Herbets of The Center Square, directly challenges Russini’s claim that she FaceTimed an NFL head coach during the encounter to avoid a ticket for texting while driving.
Bodycam Video Reveals No FaceTime Call Occurred
The footage, which lasts just over seven minutes, captures the entire interaction between Russini and the officer on January 19, 2026. At no point does Russini initiate a FaceTime call or any other phone call to an NFL coach. Her earlier story, shared in a February radio segment and cited by her former employers, described a scenario in which she let the officer FaceTime with a coach to get out of a ticket. The video tells a different story.
Instead. Russini leans on her NFL connections in conversation. As the officer approaches, she introduces herself as an NFL reporter and mentions breaking the news of Sean McDermott’s firing from the Buffalo Bills. “I’m an NFL reporter, and I just broke that Sean McDermott got fired from the Bills. And that I what I was just sending to send, a tweet. I was gonna pull over, because I have to make calls. I know you don’t care, but I just wanted you to know my reason why,” she explains.
She also tells the officer, “You know who I was on the phone with? Brian Daboll. He wants the job.” Russini shows a text exchange with Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, but never dials out. Her references to NFL figures serve as context for her phone use, not as evidence of a live call involving the officer.
Police Statement and Department Policy on Discretion
After the footage surfaced. Ridgewood Police Chief Forest Ross Lyons addressed the officer’s decision to issue a warning rather than a ticket. Department policy, he explained, allows officers to use their professional judgment when deciding between a citation and a warning. The officer reviewed Russini’s driving history, followed protocol, and chose to let her off with a verbal warning.
“After following department protocol during the stop, and reviewing Ms. Russini’s driving history, the officer exercised his professional discretion and issued a verbal warning to Ms. Russini. The use of officer discretion in determining whether to issue a warning or a citation is consistent with Ridgewood Police Department policy and longstanding practice,” the official statement reads.
Ridgewood’s policy encourages officers to weigh circumstances and, when appropriate, issue warnings as part of a broader approach to community policing. The footage backs this up. The officer tells Russini, “I’m gonna cut you a break on the cellphone. I understand your job requires you to be on the phone a lot. Just try to wait ‘til you get home. OK?”
No citation was issued. The officer’s decision hinged on department guidelines and Russini’s explanation, not on any FaceTime call.
Publicly available video now makes clear that Russini’s radio story about FaceTiming an NFL head coach during the stop simply didn’t happen. The stop played out as a routine enforcement encounter, with Russini referencing her job and contacts, but never making a live call to a coach.
