Louisville Cop Fires Pepper Pellets At TV Journalist During Live Broadcast

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Huffington Post

05/30/2020 01:29 am ET Updated 46 minutes ago

The officer was captured on camera aiming a weapon at a reporter covering protests.

By Mary Papenfuss

A Kentucky police officer was filmed calmly squeezing off pepper pellets at a TV news reporter in the middle of a live broadcast on protests in downtown Louisville Friday night over recent killings during police actions there and in Minneapolis.

Reporter Kaitlin Rust’s camera operator filmed the officer aiming straight at both of them during a report on WAVE 3 News. Rust began screaming: “I’m getting shot! Rubber bullets! Rubber bullets!”

“Katie, are you OK?” asked the news anchor back at the station.

“It’s OK, it’s OK. It’s those pepper bullets,” Rust responded. Pepper balls contain chemicals similar to pepper spray and are shot in pellets. She was apparently struck during the broadcast, according to the news station.

Asked who the police were aiming at, Rust responded: “At us! Directly at us!” — though she had no idea why.


Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tv-journalists-hit-by-pepper-pellets-louisville-police-killing-protest_n_5ed1d4bac5b65a9043c21a80

[Rhiannon12866]

1. Here's the report from MSNBC:

Police In Louisville Fire Pepper Bullets At Press During Chaotic Protest | The 11th Hour | MSNBC

A local reporter in Louisville, Kentucky, was hit with pepper bullets fired by law enforcement during chaotic protests after the deaths of Breonna Taylor there and George Floyd in Minneapolis. Aired on 05/29/2020.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

4. K&R. Thanks, Rhiannon. A bit too close to home.

I'm out in the 'burbs but these downtown events will damage our efforts to control coronavirus, I fear.


KY......... ........

[Rhiannon12866]

5. Oh, no! I hope that you're far enough away and manage to stay safe!

These really are scary times. We have had protests too in my neck-of-the-woods, mainly directed at our embarrassment of a congressperson, Elise Stefanik. But no one is going anywhere today - and not just because of the quarantine. We had a major storm here yesterday and last night, trees are down, many streets are closed and there are a few thousand still without power. At least I still have TV and DU... Check in when you can!

[KY_EnviroGuy]

6. Thanks again. I'm about 10-mi. away from that but.....

after seeing how Atlanta's violence spread outward, I think we all should stay alert. I live in a purple area but with lots of RW gun humpers and I fear that more than anything from cops or downtown.

Hope your area gets cleaned up soon from the storm. I peek at your weather often and seem to recall you've had some rough times this year, perhaps with lots of ice.

It's a shame these protests are occurring during the pandemic and I fear the blowback may work against Democrats this fall.


Stay safe!.........

[BigOleDummy]

2. As sad..

.. as it is to say the Louisville Metro P.D. as a whole is an occupying force in much of west Louisville and frankly I'm surprised it took this long for people to take to the streets. I live less than a mile from the footage seen here and know of what I speak. Mayor Fisher is a decent enough guy but the L.M.P.D. is a law unto its own. Add in the fact that most of the officers live NOT in the Louisville but in the fire engine red suburbs here..... we're just lucky those were pepper and not lead bullets.

[DallasNE]

3. This Is Why Things Have Spiraled Out Of Control So Fast

The police from the start have used too much force and the demonstrators have responded in kind.

Right, two wrongs do not make a right but the police, who strongly support Trump, have made things much worse than they needed to be by their actions. Perhaps that is the goal. Sick.

[oasis]

7. Fascists. nt

[Paladin]

8. Something else for trump to gloat about. (nt)

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

9. Support your local sheriff