Police say they figured out who rushed an NBC News reporter during a segment on Hurricane Ida. He is Benjamin Eugene Dagley, of Wooster, Ohio, officers said in a statement. Officers are after him on two counts of simple assault, one count of disturbing the peace, and one count of violating an emergency curfew.
He parked a white truck, stepped out, and jogged right to Brewster. The man, wearing a white shirt, said something to the effect of “You’re reporting this accurately, right?”
Brewster tried to diffuse the situation by directing the camera away and continuing his segment.
“We deal with some people every once in a while,” he said, before attempting to continue the segment. The man in the white shirt, however, began to screaming, apparently telling them to report “ACCURATELY.” He got right in Brewster’s face as reporter blocked him with an arm and the feed cut back to the studio.
Things got very hairy for NBC News reporter Shaquille Brewster during a live Hurricane Ida report from Gulfport, MS.
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) August 30, 2021
Some guy jumps out of a pickup truck and angrily confronts Brewster's crew, prompting a shaken Craig Melvin to express extreme concern for his colleague. pic.twitter.com/v1tYnUsqTj
We would like to thank the public for coming forward and helping identify Dagley. pic.twitter.com/SFPJAekshn
— Gulfport Police Dept (@GulfportPolice) August 31, 2021
Community Submission by Adamas