An arrest warrant has been issued for the man who jumped MSNBC’s Shaq Brewster while he was reporting on Hurricane Ida.
The Gulfport Police Department issued a statement charging Benjamin Dagley with two counts of simple assault, one count of disturbing the peace, and one count of violating an emergency order curfew:
We would like to thank the public for coming forward and helping identify Dagley. pic.twitter.com/SFPJAekshn
— Gulfport Police Dept (@GulfportPolice) August 31, 2021
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Dagley was on probation in Ohio for holes in tanks of dangerous chemicals at a business that he once owned. He pleaded guilty to vandalism, inciting a panic, and simple assault.
Brewster and his NBC News crew were lucky that the situation didn’t turn even more dangerous. Brewster was doing his live report, as Bagley could be heard off-camera arguing with the members of the news crew. Bagley then rushed at Brewster and got in his face while the reporter quickly tossed it back to Craig Melvin in the studio.
Bagley is clearly a dangerous individual, and it is good to see that the local police in Gulfport are taking the assault of a journalist who was only trying to do his job seriously.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
