A KCCI reporter was verbally assaulted by a very angry woman in Boone, Iowa on Tuesday during a live broadcast on the street. The woman who approached Emmy Victor, who was reporting on a police involved shooting that resulted in the death of a man on Monday, turned out to be the mother of the deceased, and she immediately began hurling racial slurs and insults at Victor, calling her the “n-word” several times, and demanding that she “get the f*ck out of here.”
The mother of the man who was killed got right up in Victor’s face, pointing her finger in her face and appearing to touch her during one particularly tense moment. Victor and her cameraman, Zachary Hayes, verbally shoo’d the woman away; Hayes turned the camera lens to make sure he got footage of her antics.
KCCI general manager Brian Sather would later release a statement praising the level of professionalism Victor and Hayes maintained during what was a “difficult, emotionally-charged 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.