Tarrant constable apologizes, says mocking opponent’s disability was political banter
A Tarrant County constable apologized after video showed him mocking his opponent’s disability in Fort Worth.
Michael Campbell, constable of Precinct 8 in Tarrant County, said in a statement Monday that he and Kenneth Sam, a retired Fort Worth police officer of 35 years, were “exchanging political banter” when he starting faking a limp and said Sam “wobbles while he walks.”
“A comment was made and taken out of context,” Campbell said in the statement, which was posted on his Facebook.
Campbell did not immediately respond to requests to comment further.
In the video, which Sam took, Campbell, Sam and fellow candidate Roosevelt Masters were outside a voting center on Feb. 25 at the Forest Hill Civic and Convention Center. Sam and Masters were talking to a voter as she walked to the center when Campbell pulled up.
Sam and Masters were telling the woman not to vote for Campbell, and Campbell told her to “vote with her conscience,” Campbell said in a previous interview with the Star-Telegram.
In the interview, Campbell denied mocking Sam’s limp.
Sam said the interaction was embarrassing and disappointing.
Campbell said in the statement he supports all citizens “regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation or physical disability.”
He said he has known Sam for 25 years and visited him in the hospital when he was seriously ill after a trip to Belize.
“I apologize for my reaction to the banter,” he wrote. “It was never my intention to offend anyone with any type of ailment.”
Sam told the Star-Telegram he was disappointed that Campbell did not send the statement to him or reach out to him directly. He said he saw the statement when someone else shared it with him.
“It wasn’t directed as an apology at me or people that he offended,” he said. “It was a ploy to satisfy his constituents.”
Sam said he felt Campbell was trying to justify his actions, not sincerely apologize.
On Tuesday, Campbell defeated his four opponents when he won 57.85% of the vote in the Democratic primary. There are no Republicans seeking the office.
This story was originally published March 4, 2020 at 4:39 PM.
