Charmayne Brown, Black Reporter, Attacked On Camera By White Family In SC

From the AP:

Three people upset that a news crew was reporting on the arrest of a relative attacked the television reporter and yelled racial slurs at her and a photographer, authorities said Tuesday.

The family members, all white, began yelling and charged at black WSPA-TV reporter Charmayne Brown while she was standing in the street near the family's home in Union, said news director Alex Bongiorno.

Brown was punched in the head, and black cameraman Ti Barnes was also struck as he tried to pull family members off Brown, Bongiorno said. A video of the attack shows Brown, who wasn't seriously injured, defending herself.

"I think she's more affected by the verbal abuse than the physical abuse. She's really shaken up," Bongiorno said.

The fight was taped by a white crew from a second television station. They were not attacked.

Tousha Smith, 31, Billie Joe Taylor, 31, and Trina Vinson, 48, were being held at a Union jail Tuesday evening on assault and battery charges, authorities said. South Carolina has no law allowing a hate crime charge.

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Attempts to contact the family were unsuccessful; messages left at several numbers were not immediately returned, and authorities said they weren't sure whether the three had attorneys.

Charges are pending against a fourth person, authorities said. The reporter and photographer were not charged.

Brown was reporting on the death of 73-year-old Tommy Howell, who was killed by a blow to the head after an argument, authorities said. His body was found Tuesday in his home. Police arrested his grandson, Shane Howell, and charged him with murder, Union Police Chief Sam White said.

Shane Howell remains in jail, and it is unclear whether he has an attorney.

"These people were very upset," White said. "I guess they just took it out the wrong way."

Comments

[Felicty]

Oh, goody.

A White trash picnic.

[AZDemocrat500]

This is just another indication of the racial divide in America. 90 Percent blacks for Obama and 70 percent white for Clinton, the media such as the Huffington Post needs to pull their heads out of the sand and talk about these real issues instead of attacking Clinton all of the time.

[preatorius]

Anyone can be a racist. According to sociologist, racism is often perpetrated by those with power.

Charmagne Brown did throw puches, AFTER she was punched. She was doing her job, and preparing to leave prior to the incident.

If you were attacked, what would you do?

This is why the attack was racist. There were several news people there, the people chose to attack the Afrian American woman, and the shouted racial slurs at her.

If they had simply attacked every there, and said, "Get out of here!" It would not have come across as racist.

[DuckofDeath]

The reporter went around her cameraman to throw the first punch...can't defend her. They all look like a bunch of idiots, reporter included.

[StuCop]

thank you...someone else who watched the video without bias.

[MadFae]

The photographer dropped his own camera and rushed in. The other team was not filming in time to catch the beginning of the exchange. What you people keep referring to as "the reporter attacking first" is a misperception of what was happeneing, since none of us are able to see what happened right before that. The beginning of this video does NOT capture the entire event. So any judgments you are making based on this video are flawed.

I am ashamed of how many violent and racists people are calling themselves good Americans these days. I am a white woman who grew up in Mississippi. There is absolutely no excuse for this kind of behavior, I don't care how upset or grief-stricken you are. I take the reporter at her word that she was attacked first. I seriously doubt a professional woman who was being filmed would risk her career in order to attack a race-baiter.

I hope everyone grows up soon and realizes we are all human beings and we are all red under our skin.

[Riemann]

I flagged your racist comment. Liar.

[cowman]

I thought the cameraman was in the van when it started.

[abbiehoffmansghost]

I must have missed that.

[hoodrat]

I'm a minority like the reporter, what if the idiots were just pissed by reporters camped in front of their home? Knee jerk reaction, to be sure, but how many times do you see stories break - and there are seas of TV crews parked in front of peoples homes, sometimes when that household wants publicity least? I would think the family is reeling from the fratricide as it is. Can't defend ignorance - but there it is......

[avenue]

In that case, they would have lashed out at everybody.

[cowman]

Yea, they went AROUND a white crew still filiming to get to the black reporter who was waiting to leave. And standing on public property across the street doesn't seem like she aggrevated the situation, it seemed a respectful distance compared to most reporters if you ask me.

[robXdion]

You must really be a 'hoodrat' to be that dense. They were so pissed someone was on their lawn they passed all the others to beat her up the one black female while calling her n_gger. Why try to defend these idiots? You sound like Larry Elder.

[bob5701]

The media wants to play nice when it comes to race but this incident is how it is. Obama, hopefully gets his own security. Don't trust the Secret service.

[SidChimaera]

Billie Joe Taylor.

classic.

[JScott]

Indeed!!!!

Hate to admit it but
After all it IS South Carolina
Hey if the stereotype fits.

[fact finder]

This type of behavior is reprehensible and should not be allowed to go unpunished to the maximum. This was very decidedly a hate crime and South Carolina should be ashamed of its self for not having hate crime laws.

[BurtR]

So, in South Carolina, where they still fly the rebel flag, this tv station sends out a Black reporter to interview these inbred meth freaks who are killing each other and things turn into the Jerry Springer show and people feign outrage?
Ratings are thru the roof.

[StuCop]

not being racist at all...i'm saying watch the complete unedited video from the beginning. it's the reporter that rushes around her camera man and throws a punch. the reporter is attacking. doesn't matter if she's black or white...she rushes around her camerman and throws a punch...she is instigating...period.

at the end of the unedited video she continues to push and try to move back towards the women she was fighting with as the cameraman tried to block her from re-engaging in fighting...all the while verbally escalating the situation.

how is logically watching and interpreting the entire video being racist?

[buckdenton]

If you are a cop, you should know assault and battery when you see it. She has a right to protect herself and it doesn't look at all like she threw the first punch or antagonized the situation. There is no re-engaging here. I would be scared for my life if confronted by a mob of angry persons. She did not have time to cool off and then re-engage. It all seems continuous to me.

[preatorius]

Anyone can be a racist. According to sociologists, racism is often perpetrated by those with power.

Charmagne Brown did throw puches, AFTER she was punched. She was doing her job, and preparing to leave prior to the incident.

If you were attacked, what would you do?

This is why the attack was racist. There were several news people there, the family CHOSE to attack the African American woman, and they shouted racial slurs at her.

If they had simply attacked everyone there, and said, "Get out of here!" It would not have come across as racist.

[avenue]

The police inspected the video as well as took statements from the witnesses. They ultimately decided to arrest those three people, and are currently looking for a fourth suspect.

People that were there clearly stated that the journalist and her cameraman were attacked.

Nobody's saying you're racist. However, the video was only started in response to the initial attack on the reporter. I think you're just looking for a reason to say this wasn't some racially charged attack. Unfortunately, it was.

[Boobaloo]

Also, witnesses said the whites were yelling racist garbage at black crew and black spectators before the altercation.

[erinaceus]

Can you provide a link to the unedited video?

[ConcernedCtzn]

It is so strange to me how some people need to see the whole video to make sure these people are not being judged improperly, (I mean the perpetrators). But in some instances, depending on the situation (meaning the Obama pastor), they'll take those snippets and make a judgment. It just depends on the person's agenda, that is all! People really need to stop race baiting.

[kellygrrrl]

White Trash -- come on, Evolution. Make these idiots extinct !!!!!!!

[ndolomar]

as a journalist, i find it saddening when the messenger is the victim of violence of any kind. while the high-paid pundits and celebrity reporters hardly count as real media, there still are true journalists who got into the business because they want to discover, learn and share information. it's possible that race really wasn't a factor and that the epithets just came out because that's how some white people refer to blacks -- even if some of their "best friends are black." journalists frequently are attacked when covering a story, and thankfully this one wasn't killed. race shouldn't even be an issue; this is about the safety of those who want to keep us informed.

[Sundialsvc4]

I was already skeptical when the best that the Democratic party could come up with was "black man, white woman" ... neatly ignoring the fact that both individuals are in their own way "brilliant" and instead putting-out tripe like "gee, he's lucky he's black."

Ahem.

And now, this?

You know, your publicity-minded "handlers" know how to push buttons, how to set up a scene and how to try to trigger waves of sentiment. They are, in other words, masters of crowd psychology. But is that really what anyone needs ... to, you know, lead the country?

[Mikey2U]

It's going to be a lomg hot summer....

[ChiGuy]

"South Carolina has no law allowing a hate crime charge."

*************************************************************************

In a state that fights so tenaciously to hold on to a symbol of racism like the Confederate flag, this kinnd of utter ignorance should come as no surprise.

[williamscody]

Are not all violent crimes hate crimes?

[Advocate123]

Hate crime statutes are racist.

[gallstones]

How?
How are Hate crime statues "racist"?
BS