A reporter for KCCI local news station in Iowa was met with a flurry of racial slurs Tuesday in what her colleagues at the station are calling an assault. The reporter, Emmy Victor, was reporting on location in Boone, Iowa about a police shooting and death that occurred earlier when a woman approached her in a fit of rage, using racist epithets and profanity. At one point the woman appears to grab Victor, who was merely doing her job reporting the news.
The woman was later identified as the mother of the man who was shot by police on Monday, the story on which Victor and photojournalist Zachary Hayes were reporting. The mother called Victor the n-word and told Victor and Hayes to "get the fuck out of here" multiple times. When the woman first approached and used the racial slur, Victor said, "Don't you ever."
While screaming at Victor, the woman got closer and closer to Victor, who continued to back away from the clearly agitated woman. The woman pointed her finger in Victor's face, and appeared to grab Victor's hand when she put it up, seemingly to block the woman's approach.
When Hayes and Victor said they were calling police, the woman mentioned something about how the police would shoot her too, adding "Come on right here. Tell them to come fucking shoot me."
In their coverage of the confrontation, KCCI reporters read a statement from the station's General Manager, Brian Sather, who said:
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.
Emmy Victor did not immediately reply to Complex's request for comment.
