Police Chief Finally Reveals Why Dianna Russini Walked Away Without A Ticket
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
Dianna Russini has seen her claims debunked after revealing she got out of a ticket by calling an NFL head coach.
The former NFL reporter was stopped in New Jersey in early 2026 but avoided a citation after a chat with the officer who pulled her over.
She said she got herself out of the jam by making a FaceTime call to an NFL coach. The revelation sent internet sleuths down a rabbit hole as they scrambled to figure out who it could have been. They were only able to narrow it down to 21.
That investigation would have gone on forever, as that call never took place.
We know that because there’s bodycam footage of Russini’s interaction with the cop, and at no point does she FaceTime anyone.
She did some name-dropping, though.
Meanwhile, Chief Forest Ross Lyons of the Ridgewood, New Jersey, Police Department has issued a statement explaining why the officer in question did not give Russini a ticket for using her phone while driving.
“On January 19, 2026, at 9:40 am, a Ridgewood police officer conducted a motor vehicle stop on Godwin Avenue involving Ms. Dianna Russini for the use of a handheld cell phone while driving,” Lyons said on Monday, per ProFootballTalk.
“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 statement continues.
“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. Police officers are encouraged to use their judgment and, when appropriate, provide motorists with warnings as part of the Department’s commitment to fair, impartial and community-oriented policing.”
Dianna Russini Outs Sources
Russini mentioned former Giants coach Brian Daboll and Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell during her stop. She did not FaceTime either of them.
You can check the bodycam footage and see for yourself:
Russini tells the cop Daboll wants the Bills job following Sean McDermott’s firing, citing Daboll himself as the source.
“You know who I was on the phone with? Brian Daboll. He wants the job,” she says.
She also shows the officer a text exchange with O’Connell after he reveals he’s a Vikings fan, then tells him J.J. McCarthy sucks.
“I’m gonna cut you a break on the cellphone,” he says he eventually. “I understand your job requires you to be on the phone a lot. Just try to wait ‘til you get home, OK?”
The cop was well within his rights to be lenient with Russini, and his boss has backed him. Had that call actually happened, it would have been a bad look.
Now, it’s just a bad look for Dianna, as it has been all offseason.
