Contact: Dan Fabrizio, News Director For Immediate Release

Dan.Fabrizio@wave3.com
(502) 561-4137

WAVE 3 News Condemns Police Firing At Our News Crew

During Their Lawful Coverage of Downtown Protest

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – May 29, 2020 - WAVE 3 News in Louisville condemns tonight’s
firing of what appear to be pepper balls at WAVE 3 News’ news crew by an officer of the Louisville
Metro Police Department during their live on-the-scene coverage of a protest in downtown
Louisville.

At approximately 9:43 p.m. and 9:44 p.m. tonight, an LMPD officer directly aimed and fired
pepper balls at WAVE 3 News reporter Kaitlin Rust and at her cameramen, photographer James
Dobson. The officer’s shots struck both Ms. Rust and Mr. Dobson. Despite sustaining minor
injuries, Ms. Rust and Mr. Dobson continued reporting during and immediately after the officer fired
on them. The incident can be viewed online here: https://www.wave3.com/2020/05/29/lmpd-
officer-fires-pepper-balls-wave-news-reporter-during-louisville-protest/

WAVE 3 News General Manager Ken Selvaggi said, “We strongly condemn the actions of
the LMPD officer who tonight repeatedly fired at and hit our reporter and cameraman, both of whom
were courageously and lawfully covering breaking news in their community. There is simply no
justification for the Louisville police to wantonly open fire, even with pepper balls, on any journalists
under any circumstances.”

Pat LaPlatney, the President and Co-CEO of Gray Television, WAVE 3 News’ parent
company, added, “As colleagues and as citizens, we are indebted to the journalists who put
themselves in harm’s way on a daily basis to cover critical stories for their local communities,
whether it’s a pandemic, flooding, wildfires, or a host of other dangerous situations. At no time,
however, should journalists be fired upon by the police while peacefully exercising their
constitutional rights to speak, assemble, and report. We urge the LMPD to investigate fully and take
all necessary actions to ensure that no journalist ever faces a situation like the WAVE 3 News team
endured tonight.”

When the officer fired at Ms. Rust and Mr. Dobson, the two had been following police
instructions, were standing behind the police line when they were fired upon, and were not disrupting
or otherwise interfering with law enforcement. Ms. Rust, who was wearing a bright yellow,
reflective vest, a facemask, and equipment backup, and holding a large field microphone. Mr.
Dobson was standing near her filming the encounter with an apparently very visible, professional-
grade field television camera.

An LMPD spokesperson confirmed to WAVE 3 News that the officer in the video appears to
be a member of the Louisville Metro Police Department and that the LMPD would investigate the
incident.

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