Source: Gulfport Police / NBC News
Police are seeking an Ohio man who appeared to threaten and attempt to menace a Black television journalist during a live broadcast. Benjamin Eugene Dagley was seen during an MSNBC segment running and shouting towards the network’s Shaquille Brewster but the situation was swiftly handled and later it was revealed the man has quite the dangerous criminal past.
Brewster was live on air broadcasting from Gulfport, Miss. reporting on the aftermath of Hurricane Ida as it made its way out of the region. Maintaining his professional demeanor, Brewster never seemed frazzled or worried about Dagley’s shouting but back that MSNBC’s main studio, Craig Melvin expressed some genuine concern for his colleague.
“I am going to turn this way because we deal with some people every once in a while,” Brewster is seen saying while the camera cuts to Melvin, who again checked in the reporter who later tweeted the situation was under control.
MSNBC President Rashida Jones offered in a statement, “Shaq Brewster is an exceptional journalist. Like the consummate professional, he did not let someone intimidate him from doing his job. We’re glad he and the team are safe, and we couldn’t be more proud and supportive of their work.”
It has since come out that Dagley may have violated his probation by leaving Ohio and now there is a warrant out for his arrest on two counts of Simple Assault, one count of Disturbance of the Peace, and one count of Violation of Emergency Curfew. Ohio outlet News 5 Cleveland adds in their reporting that Dagley was on probation for a prior offense and didn’t have permission to leave the state.
In 2017, Dagley faced criminal charges after being seen on video surveillance cameras breaking into an electroplating company he once owned and drilling holes in chemical tanks. One security was injured due to Dagley’s actions and he pleaded guilty to vandalism, inducing panic, and attempted assault.
Looks like that rap sheet will be getting longer once he’s nabbed by police.
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Photo: MSNBC/Gulfport Police
