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Kathleen assistant coach charged with having knife at practice

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By KEITH MORELLI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 23, 2009

LAKELAND - A well-liked assistant football coach with Lakeland's Kathleen High School was arrested Thursday night after authorities say he brought a locked-blade knife to a practice and threatened a 16-year-old player with it.

Charged was Christopher Michael Campbell, 30, who works full time at a Publix supermarket and volunteers as an assistant football coach at Kathleen, according to Polk County sheriff's deputies.

Campbell showed up at a practice on Wednesday and brandished the knife, deputies said. Having a weapon on campus is a violation of school board policy and a felony, deputies said.

Campbell of Lakeland pointed the knife in a threatening manner several times at one of the players, 16-year-old Otis Buford, "poking him and tapping him on the chest and on the helmet with it while also verbally threatening him," deputies said in a news release.

The incident was witnessed by at least two other players, deputies said. Witnesses also said he cursed during practice and brandished the knife several times.

Sheriff's detectives met with Gary Lineberger, the school's athletic director, who said he spoke with Campbell by phone on Thursday. Deputies said Campbell admitted to Lineberger that he brought the knife to practice and that he told players, "Don't try me today."

Lineberger said on Friday that there is more to the story that he declined to reveal. He said Campbell is a former student and athlete of Kathleen High and had helped coach the team for eight or 10 years.

"He's as quality a kid as I've ever been around," he said of Campbell.

Campbell lives in Lakeland with with his mother and was arrested at her house Thursday night. Deputies recovered the knife from his car and he was booked into the Polk County Jail on charges of assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and exhibition of a weapon within 1,000 feet of school property. Both are third-degree misdemeanors.

Campbell was told not to attend practices until the investigation is complete, Lineberger said. That could have an adverse impact on the team, which the athletic director said was "very close" to Campbell.

Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760.

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