An arrest warrant has been issued for an Ohio man accused of assaulting an MSNBC reporter in Gulfport, Mississippi, amid a citywide curfew while reporting Hurricane Ida.
During Monday’s coverage, MSNBC and NBC correspondent Shaquille Brewster was attacked on television by a man who drove up to the beach in a white truck and shouted at the crew.
According to a statement released by the Gulfport Police Department on Wednesday, the suspect has been identified as Benjamin Eugene Dagley of Wooster, Ohio. The charges brought against him include simple assault, disturbing the peace, and violating an emergency curfew.
By traveling to the location, Dagley may have broken his probation, the police added. He was on probation in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, for a previous charge.
Dagley is believed to have left the Mississippi Gulf Coast in a white 2016 Ford F150 with the Ohio license plate number PJR1745. The police asked anyone to contact their local law enforcement department with information regarding his location.
While the man was abusing the camera team, Brewster kept his cool and continued reporting. However, a few moments later, the man was observed rushing up to Brewster and yelling angrily in his face, “report it accurately!”
The clip then cuts back to Craig Melvin, the host of MSNBC. He said, “Hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey,” he said. “We’re going to check in with Shaq Brewster just to make sure all is well. There is a lot of crazy out there. There is a lot of crazy!”
After the incident, MSNBC chairman Rashida Jones and other colleagues of Brewster offered Brewster words of support and praise.
“Shaq Brewster is an exceptional journalist,” Jones said in a statement. “Like the consummate professional, he did not let someone intimidate him from doing his job. We’re glad he and the team are safe, and we couldn’t be more proud and supportive of their work.”
Man confronts NBC News correspondent Shaquille Brewster on live TV during Hurricane Ida coverage. https://t.co/7Abw7BvQ2T pic.twitter.com/wZ2pQ7ZEhr
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) August 31, 2021
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