Tipsheet

Local CBS Reporter Assaulted By Anti-Racism Protester A Day After Charlottesville Chaos

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  August 14, 2017 1:25 PM

We should all be angry at what happened in Charlottesville, Virginia. A group of white nationalists descended into the city to protests the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue. Counter protesters showed up, violence ensued, and 20-year-old James Alex Fields Jr. of Ohio decided to plow into the counter protesters, killing one and leaving nineteen injured. Of course, more demonstrations against white supremacy were held. Last night, in Richmond, a local CBS reporter, who was not acting in that capacity but filming on his mobile phone, which is legal, was assaulted by an anti-racism demonstrator. You can hear the man being told not to film, prompting a response from the reporter, noting he can film wherever he wants on public ground. That’s when what appears to be a stick-like object strikes him in the head. He received four staples at the hospital (via WTVR):

“Stop filming bro,” one of the protesters yells.

“I can film whatever I want,” the CBS 6 staffer replies. “Get out of my face.”

At that point video shows the photographer's phone knocked out of his hands. Video then captures a protester hit the photojournalist with what he described as a big stick.

Officers responded and the photojournalist was transported via ambulance to Retreat Doctors' Hospital. He received four staples in his skull and was released.

"This is not a peaceful protest," he wrote.

[…]

Richmond police tweeted just after 10:20 p.m. that the protest was underway on W. Broad Street and Laurel.

The protests dispersed around 12:20 A.M. this morning. It is unknown if the person who assaulted the reporter belonged to any group.