Reporter Steve Ryan Slaps Drunk Prankster In The Face For Ruining Broadcast (VIDEO)

We sympathize with (but do not condone!) reporter Steve Ryan's reaction after this drunk prankster repeatedly harassed him during his live Las Vegas Strip broadcast about Michael Jackson's death. Ryan tries to continue his live report, and initially reacts with good humor and patience, but when the man just won't leave him alone and wrecks the broadcast, Ryan lightly slaps the man in the face. The camera cuts back to the anchors but not before catching the engagement. Wonkette is right that the stunned expressions (0:33) on the anchors' faces (especially the one of the right) "might rank among the greatest YouTube freeze-frames of some period of time."

[WATCH]

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Comments

[flurryup]

LOL.

[BurtR]

they invite people out there to misbehave. they should deal with it. the "drunk" seemed very mild mannered. he could have been more belligerent

[BurgessPenguin]

By the way, here's another great moment in Las Vegas video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkKyl1BZWVM&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lasvegasgleaner.com%2Flas_vegas_gleaner%2F&feature=player_embedded

The old guy you see here happens to be one Thomas Mitchell, editor of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, our city's major daily. Well, major in that it is the only one.

[LatteLibertine]

No, he pushed the guy's head.

[TEAQUEEN]

That was not a slap_stop making up headlines to entice people to read an article.That was a "pansy".Whom ever that lumpenproletariat was_he needed more than a pansy slap.He needed a B*Slap.Can I help?

[eternalkerri]

that drunk had every right to run up to the camera which wasnt even intending to show him, interfere with a broadcast, and when they tried to simply shift to remove him from the picture and ignore him, he proceeds to move closer to the shot and make an even more obtrusive involvement to the point of pumping into the reporter to get into the shot.

he was embarrassed on national tv by that slap! yes! embarrassed while making an a$$ of himself drunk in public on tv! lets ignore the face that he was in violation of nevada statute 202.450 of Nevada Law that states : ". Every act unlawfully done and every omission to perform a duty, which act or omission:
(a) Annoys, injures or endangers the safety, health, comfort or repose of any considerable number of persons."

Yeah, he should sue the reporter for preventing him from committing a misdemeanor against his person!!

[BryantG]

Can you legally hit a guy because he gets between you and your camera man? Good thing the drunk wasn't the kind that likes to fight.

[Erics Donor]

Oh give me a break! He barely touched him. Sigh.

[bugsbonzai]

I love it. Just another example of truly useless local "coverage" of a non-story, using an absolutely unnecessary "live" feed for no compelling reason whatsoever. The fact that something interesting happened makes me for once not look at local news with disdain and rolled eyes.

[ragtag]

Should a dropped him on the spot! I nice solid hay maker on the point of the chin would have put him to sleep for a little while..

[ohmetoo]

YOu know this just goes to show you we need to start taxing liquor at the same rate we have taxed cigarrettes over the past 50 years, then we'd have less of these drunk asses showing up.

[UnknownSoldier]

Nope they'd just drink cheaper stronger liquor............ Like Thunderbird

[We-Are-The-Ones]

Ha. Too funny.

[lionzion]

It looks like he gave him a peck on the cheek.. And he liked it!!.. Lol

[larry278]

What happens in Vegas should stay in Vegas. WTF, really cares about the video clip & the incident?

[Muskered]

LOL....that was a slap?