The City of Fall River Police Department has vocally come forward to denounce a series of paid TV spots aimed at discrediting its officers and stirring up conspiracy theories relating to the Police Involved shooting of Anthony Harden. In a social media post, they clarified circumstances around the controversial incident that led to Harden's death on November 22, 2021. The department emphasized that "Officer Chelsea Campellone acted heroically when forced to shoot Mr. Harden to prevent him from stabbing her partner," as they were responding to a reported domestic violence incident.
The pushback by the FRPD comes after Eric Mack, representing Harden's estate, brought a federal lawsuit against the city and several of its officers on November 8, 2024, and has since been aggressively targeting the officers involved through what the department calls a deceptive public attacks campaign. The department claims these adverts intentionally leave out key findings from the extensive investigation conducted by both police witnesses and the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, which found the shooting to be legally justified. Mack's adverts, the statement alleges, could unfairly taint public perception and so, seek to prejudice his federal lawsuit.
This narrative has unfolded with new details from the original incident involving Harden that the FRPD is now sharing publicly in response to the allegations. They relay that on the night of Harden's death, he was attempting to harm his girlfriend, who had accused him of repeated physical abuse, prompting her to call for police assistance. Harden, according to the FRPD statement, "covered the walls of his apartment with disturbing graffiti and was living in squalor," potentially signaling a deteriorating mental state.
Addressing the character of the accusations, the FRPD counters that any allegations of racial bias or personal attacks on Officer Campellone, especially highlighting her history as a survivor of domestic violence, are unfounded. The department asserts that it is standard and necessary to sometimes employ deadly force to ensure public safety and protect its officers. Moreover, as per the FRPD statement, "No police officer wants to be forced to use deadly force" but sometimes it does become inevitably necessary.
The FRPD's stance is not only a defense of its officers but an emblem of solidarity within its ranks, evident in its support for both Officer Campellone and Officer Sullivan. Underscoring their confidence, the department concluded its post by expressing their expectation to vindicate the actions of their officers in the upcoming trial. They maintain that the facts, when presented in court, "will be presented fully and fairly to a jury," ending their proclamation with confidence for exoneration, as stated by the Fall River Police Department.
