This Reporter Kept Her Cool In The Face Of An Attack On The Job

Every day reporters and photojournalists put themselves in harms way to report the news following tense situations. On Tuesday, a black reporter and her photojournalist were covering a fatal officer-involved shooting for KCCI in Iowa when they were attacked by a white woman who screamed racial slurs, put her hands on the reporter and knocked over camera equipment before storming off, The Huffington Post reports.

The white woman, later identified as the mother of Michael Disbrowe, 28, whom police shot and killed Monday night in the city of Boone after he allegedly pointed his gun at them and refused to drop it, got in Reporter Emmy Victor’s face, cursing and using racial epithets before putting her hands in the reporter’s face. Victor kept her composure throughout the entire incident which was all caught on camera, backing away as best as she could and saying, “Ma’am, ma’am, don’t ever.”

Photojournalist Zachary Hayes also felt the woman’s wrath as she knocked over a tripod and tried to grab his camera before walking away with an unknown woman. Victor and Hayes told the woman they were going to call the police before she left the scene. The two were not injured during the event.

KCCI General Manager Brian Sather released a statement on Victor and Hayes behalf commending them for their professionalism during the situation:

“The safety of our crews is critically important as they cover stories affecting our communities. This morning Emmy and Zach demonstrated the utmost professionalism in the face of a very difficult, emotionally-charged situation.”

Journalists, celebrities and others on Twitter also praised Victor for keeping her cool.

(Via Huffington Post/KCCI)

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