Mike Campbell has a strong first two weeks of 2019, and not just as a journalist.
Six days after reporting a Warren burglary-in-progress, which brought an arrest, the WWJ reporter-anchor helped Shelby Township officers end a five-hour overnight missing person search.
In addition to police gratitude ("Eagle Eye Campbell spots the lady"), he earns a regional Associated Press tweet (right) and salutes from some of its followers. "Give the man a cape," one comments.
The latest on-duty good deed by Campbell, a 1982 Northern Michigan University alumnus, came shortly before 7:30 a.m. Wedneday as he was driving in Shelby Township to report on the hunt for a disoriented elderly resident. He spotted Barbara Kasler in her pajamas and slippers near Otter Creek Drive and Oak Run, the station posts.
Authorities say Barbara Kasler wandered away from her home near 23 Mile Road and Hunters Creek, east of Van Dyke Avenue, around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday. Police issued a missing person alert as officers searched the neighborhood with K-9 units and a helicopter. . . .
"I was following a helicopter that was out looking for her . . . and there she was," Campbell said. "I got out and asked if she was Barbara and she said, 'Yeah.'"
Campbell invited her into the news car and turned the heater on full blast while waiting for police. . . ."I just am in the right place at the right time this morning, thankfully," Campbell said.
"Our hero," a station colleague tweets about Mike Campbell. (Photo: Twitter)
Nearly a week earlier in Warren, the observant newsman helped catch a man trying to loot a burned business. The station describes that Jan. 3 drama at an 8 Mile Road strip mall east of Dequindre Road:
While WWJ's Mike Campbell was reporting from the scene Thursday morning, he noticed a man dressed in black with a backpack looking into the burned-out Nice Nails salon. . . .
The man then grabbed a customer parking sign, smashed the front window of the nail salon and climbed inside as Campbell called police.
"I pulled up to the front of the store with headlights on and he just sat there and ravaged the inside of the store, just tore it apart," Campbell said. "Even though I was sitting right here and he saw me -- in a marked news truck -- he rummaged around in the store and then eventually came out while I was on the phone with the Warren Police dispatch."
The broadcaster followed the fleeing suspect until officers tackled him nearby.
Campbell, who earned a 1984 broadcast training certificate at Specs Howard School of Media Arts, now earns social media applause.
"Our hero," tweets WWJ colleague Roberta Jasina. "Give that Mike Campbell a badge! . . . Well-done once again Mike!" Police Chief David Molloy of Novi tweets Wednesday morning.
Here's more:
This feels very spider man ish
— pablosancho (@crypticchaos) January 9, 2019
This is how real life superheroes came to be.... I’m Batman!
— BHP (@bhprindel1) January 9, 2019
Atta boy @reportermikec
— Tom Wurster (@AATomwoo) January 9, 2019
Mike Campbell from WWJ was in the area this morning to help spread the word about our missing female. While in the neighborhood, ol’ Eagle Eye Campbell spots the lady and calls us. “She says she’s ok, just cold”. Welcome to Team Shelby, Mike! We owe you lunch! #TeamShelbyRocks pic.twitter.com/aHe3PgJuZ8
— Shelby Twp PD (@ShelbyTwp911) January 9, 2019
Another heroic save by @WWJ950 Mike Campbell. We'll go live to your Friendly Neighborhood ReporterMan, Mike Campbell @reportermikec at the top of the hour. pic.twitter.com/Dvi6zynvju
— Tom Jordan (@TomJordanNews) January 9, 2019
