News Crew Attacked

It is the nightmare scenario that keeps every Journalist on guard when they head out to go live.

This time it played out again in the Windy City. A news crew preparing for a routine live hit was targeted in a brazen, violent ambush that highlights the escalating dangers industry professionals face daily on the street.

A reporter and photographer for WBBM were setting up for a live shot near the Adler Planetarium on Monday afternoon ahead of the station's 4:00 p.m. newscast. Out of nowhere, a white tow truck pulled up, blocking the station’s live truck. What followed was a terrifying display of aggression and hate.

According to witnesses and Chicago police, a man stepped out of the tow truck with a dog and immediately charged the WBBM crew, shouting vile racial slurs directly at the photographer, who is Black. The suspect ordered the dog to attack, though the animal fortunately did not comply. When the crew attempted to defend themselves from the aggressive animal, the remaining two men inside the tow truck jumped out to escalate the assault.

The situation quickly devolved into pure destruction. One of the suspects smashed the WBBM photographer’s camera, while another grabbed a traffic cone and shattered the windshield of the station’s news van. The suspects then fled the scene. Fortunately, both the reporter and photographer managed to escape the encounter without physical injuries, though the psychological toll of these street ambushes is a heavy burden the industry continues to grapple with.

Management at the station released a statement saying they are shocked and horrified by the crime and expressed deep gratitude that their journalists are safe.

But the story didn't end with the damage to WBBM's gear. About twenty minutes after the assault on the news crew, the same suspects reportedly pointed a gun at pedestrians on the city's South Side. Following a high-speed pursuit, the suspects crashed their tow truck into a police squad car, jumped out, and attempted to flee on foot. Chicago police successfully apprehended all three suspects and recovered a firearm from the vehicle.

For TV newsrooms across the country, this is another stark reminder that the days of the marked station vehicle acting as a shield are long gone. Crews are increasingly viewed as targets, and security protocols are no longer a luxury for major market stations—they are an absolute necessity.

Charges against the three suspects are currently pending.