I understand being caught unaware by the press with a camera jammed into your face.
In this case though, it was a stringer rolling up after the victim was gone and there were just a few officers smokin' and jokin' around the accident scene.
You can tell from the footage and the tone of the statements.
Ferris von bueller: where did i say you thought the van driver was at fault? all i said your logic is off and that is part of the problem with the general public and motorcycle riders. check out the ABATE web site and their campaign to increase auto drivers awareness of cycle riders.The "look twice motorcycles are everywhere" campaign has raised some awareness around here with their signs and t.v. ads
the "journalist" more than likely was what we call an "overnighter". Yep, they usually show up after the event is over.
It is about the lowest you can go on the local tv news totem pole.
They are usually are hopped on no-doze and taco bell, These scanner junkies shoot a few b-roll shots and get a sound byte. It is the job of an morning producer to write a script around the overnighter's sound bites.
Long story short, the producer picked a really bad byte and the cop gave the overnighter a really awkward byte, to say the least.
a cluster. status quo.
Metro has a full time spin Public affairs personnel. Looks like he did not make it to this tv interview. They are good, they would not have gone a wack tangent like the cop. Our email probably go straight to them. Most of the media prefer to talk to the PA's, they tend to give better sound bites, more useful info and very to the point they also like the media and see there value. Some cops freak around a news camera. Makes you wonder why.
To go off on a tangent: When i was in news I had the worst luck with state troopers. Especially when I have to inform them of my rights that they some times forget about.
Sometimes the mix of ignorance/power/belligerence gets caught on tape. Maybe I am wrong but I dont see why the LEO needed to lay the beat down on the camera guy. Must be nice ruffing somebody up, just waiting for the them to fight back. "Media Staging area" I'm going to have to call a bull $h1t on that one.
