“Reporter Tara Moriarty and camera operator Keith Crook were reporting from World’s Fare Donuts at 20800 Hesperian Boulevard west of Interstate 880,” sfgate.com reports. “The restaurant is the home of many lottery winners, and the two had been doing live shots earlier in the morning about the Powerball jackpot, which is approaching $500 million. Moriarty and Crook had just finished a live shot at the donut shop about 6:40 a.m. and were walking back to the news truck when they were confronted by two men in masks.” The crew quickly realized that the men weren’t live TV photobombers . . .
Crook was hit and fell to the ground. The assailants robbed Crook of a live transmission unit — a device attached to a camera for use in live broadcasts — and a microphone, officials said. The men were last seen fleeing east on West A Street on foot, police said.
“A news crew was assaulted and their gear was taken,” officers were told on the radio. “No weapon was seen.”
This is not the first time Bay Area TV news crews have been targeted by robbers. There’s been a spate of such attacks. And so . . .
The heists have prompted many stations to hire security guards to accompany news crews. Many of the guards are former police officers.
Because the TV news crews themselves can’t exercise their natural, civil and Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms. But they can afford to hire ex-cops – the “special ones” – who can carry the most effective tool for personal defense. Unlike the TV audience.
I wonder if this experience will change SF media’s anti-gun culture? Or if Texas feral hogs will sprout wings to avoid JWT’s expert attention.