A “choirboy cop,” nearly killed in a wild gun battle with a Brooklyn robber, was promoted to deputy inspector yesterday, 15 years after his brush with death.
Joseph Campbell, 42, was promoted to deputy inspector of the 73rd Precinct in Brownsville, Brooklyn, at a ceremony attended by Commissioner Raymond Kelly and family members.
Campbell was a 26-year-old cop when he and his partner stopped a robbery in progress at a Brighton Beach apartment on Jan. 6, 1988.
Cops were called in after a resident woke up to find a trio of masked men in her bedroom, one of them leaning over her bed with a gun, demanding cash.
Two of the men fled, but the third ran into Campbell and his partner as they rushed into the building.
In the ensuing shootout, Campbell was hit in the stomach and seriously wounded by a bullet fired from a .357 Magnum by 25-year-old Kumar Ramesar.
Ramesar was shot dead and fell on top of Campbell, who spent the next 14 months recovering from his wounds.
Colleagues at the time described Campbell as “a choirboy cop.”
“He’s always out to help someone, always smiling,” said Officer Joseph Sitro. “A dynamite guy.”
“He’s always thinking, always cautious, a tactical cop,” he added.
Kelly described Campbell yesterday as “the epitome of a New York City police officer.”
“His courage, his dedication and his steadfast desire to get the job done is greatly appreciated,” he said.
Campbell’s wife Geraldine, his daughter Brigid and his son Joseph, and his mother, Marie, all of Marine Park, attended the ceremony at One Police Plaza.
Campbell told The Post he grew up around the corner from the 70th Precinct, where his mother held a civilian job.
He said his two biggest influences were his mother and his basketball coach, who was also a police officer.
Campbell said he could have retired with full benefits after the shooting, but decided to stay the course.
“I was too young to retire,” he said. “Besides, I always wanted to be a cop.”
He said he was thrilled about his promotion, “but my son’s even happier: he dressed up as a cop for Halloween.”
Campbell said his wife – who was his girlfriend at the time of the shooting – took care of him for over a year.
“She and my mother still worry about me,” he said.
Campbell said he was happy to be back on the force after nearly dying.
“Anything that happens after that is just gravy,” he said. “I was glad I was with some good cops. They saved my life.”
“There were a lot of good cops who were not as lucky as I was,” he added, following a ceremony in which 74 other officers were promoted.
“There were too many cop funerals in the late ’80s,” he said.