A crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters in Washington, DC has chased a Fox News reporter and his cameraman from the scene of the protest outside the 7th District Police Station on Wednesday night, with demonstrators claiming that the news outlet would cover the protest over the police killing of 18-year-old Deon Kay in a biased manner.
Fox 5 reporter Evan Lambert and the cameraman were confronted by the crowd soon after arriving on the sceen, with a man with a megaphone telling Lambert “You’re going to try to f***ing criminalize this black, beautiful child, because that’s what you do. You’re aiding and abetting the police, by criminalizing a child that was assassinated.”
The man told Lambert and the cameraman to “get out” and “go to the white neighbourhoods” as other protesters clapped and cheered.
Lambert briefly tried to hold his ground and speak to other demonstrators, but was shouted down. A woman later identified as Kay’s aunt appeared to try to convince the crowd to let the Fox reporter stay, saying “we need to let DC know” what happened, but protesters convinced her that “he gotta go.”
While leaving Lambert turned around and accused protesters of making his being chased out of the area the story, instead of the protest dedicated to Kay.
As he walked away, one protester could be heard yelling “All they do is lie. They need to leave. Fox 5 is not welcome in Southeast.”
“All they do is lie. They need to leave. Fox5 is not welcome in Southeast”
— Ali Eslami (@techjoffrey) September 3, 2020
Protesters in SE, DC kick Fox5 out of the DC BLM protests. #BLM #FoxNews #BlackLivesMatter #DCProtests #DCShooting #BLMprotests #BLMprotest pic.twitter.com/dwlyiesALy
Fellow Fox 5 reporter Lindsay Watts tweeted support for Lambert, saying it was “really sad” how he was treated. “People complain the media doesn’t give enough coverage to police shootings. A self-fulfilling prophesy when an angry group prevents you from going on air,” she wrote.
Really sad to see how my co-worker @EvanLambertTV was treated as he tried to cover this story!! People complain the media doesn’t give enough coverage to police shootings. A self-fulfilling prophesy when an angry group prevents you from going on air. https://t.co/SmBzNBvJn4
— Lindsay Watts (@LindsayAWatts) September 3, 2020
On Thursday, police released footage from the bodycam of the police officer who chased and shot Kay, showing the teen brandishing a handgun before being fired upon.
Warning: Video may not be suitable for all viewers.
Kay, 18, was shot and killed on Wednesday afternoon after police responded to a call about a man said to be armed with a gun in a in a southeastern Washington, DC neighbourhood.
In a statement, Metropolitan Police reported that two suspects fled on foot after officers arrived, with Kay reportedly brandishing a firearm during the pursuit. An officer responded with legal force. Kay was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The other suspect evaded apprehension. Two more people in Kay’s party stayed behind in the vehicle and were arrested.
Kay’s killing sparked another day of ongoing Black Lives Matter demonstrations in the US capital city. In addition to the 7th District Police Station, protesters also gathered outside the home of Mayor Muriel Bowser, where they chanted “Say his name,” “Deon Kay” and “No justice, no sleep.”
Earlier Thursday, footage appeared online showing Kay and his friends brandishing a range of weapons including handguns, machine pistols, and assault rifles, which are illegal in the District of Columbia, in videos posted to social media.
