I haven’t been on a stakeout in a while. We’ll do it on occasion, waiting for someone to arrive or leave a location, efforting video and/or an interview with someone who doesn’t necessarily want to be on television.

It can be extremely boring, depending on how long it takes to get the shot.

Sometimes we sit in a vehicle and read the paper or listen to music. Sometimes it’s cold or rainy and we’re stuck outside.

Today was nice. I stood at the corner of 120th and Amsterdam on the edge of Columbia University’s campus under blue skies with the temperature in the mid to upper 70’s. My producer Ian Rafferty had to wait in the car since we were illegally parked next to a coned-off zone where they’re supposed to shoot an episode of “Law and Order”. My cameraman Paul Alvarez stood in front of the side door with a still photographer while I manned the corner about 20 yards away, keeping an eyeball on the front entrance, scanning back and forth in case our subject stepped out Paul’s way.

We were waiting for Dr. Madonna Constantine, a just-fired Columbia Teacher’s College professor who’s accused of plagiarizing the work of two students and a former colleague. She gained national attention during the investigation into her alleged misdeeds when a noose mysteriously appeared on her office door, leading to her claims the school was targeting her in some sort of racist witch hunt.

About an hour after we arrived outside her building I spotted her, dressed in black with a male escort, hurrying out the front door and towards a town car that was quickly u-turning to a stop in front of her building.

“There she is!” I yelled to Paul and jogged down the sidewalk towards her, microphone in hand. “Dr. Constantine!” I shouted. “Dr. Constantine!  Can we ask you a question?”. She ignored me and climbed into the backseat. Her escort followed and closed the door as we reached the car.

“Dr. Constantine?” I asked again. She never turned her head and the car sped off towards the light, where the still camera grabbed a shot.
She’s apparently headed to her lawyer’s office to discuss her next move.

We fed the video via our mac book pro and set up the streambox for a Studio B live shot.

I felt a bit like a paparazzi but my goal wasn’t profit or exploitation. I was trying to give her a chance to respond to the allegations against her. Maybe her lawyer will talk instead.