Mediabistro’s TVNewser reports on the story of Good Morning America booker Mike Nagel (holding the cellphone above) getting handcuffed this morning by Atlanta police after complaints about his disorderly conduct. Nagel was trying to interrupt NBC’s interview with Atlanta hostage heroine Ashley Smith this morning.
Classy move jumping in and out of the camera shot of your competition. The interview video is available at MSNBC if you want to see the scene unfold. It’s probably not a good idea to get yourself in a situation where a video still makes it look like you’re assaulting a police officer, because this is what happens to you…
Visit TV Newser or Derek Rose for the rest of the story.
Whoops. Wonder how much milage NBC will get out of that one. What a maroon…
It must be 45 deg. F. in Atlanta; Ashley is coatless, the men in the photos are in shirtsleeves, but the Atlanta police officer is wearing a Rooski-style hat with the ear flaps down. Is there something more to this?
He’s a police basset hound.
I’m sure I’m missing something here, but given that the guy wasn’t arrested or charged and that he wasn’t doing anything illegal…just being a jerk…it appears that the New York police department was simply used to get a pretty video segment for the Today show.
There’s no law that prevents people from walking around in a public place that happens to be in a camera shot of some news crew. And, yet the police get called in to move the guy away. Why not arrest the bald guy in the black trench coat? From the video, at least, he’s the one interfering with someone lawfully talking on his cell phone in a public place. WTF?
I’ll be sure to call on New York’s finest to clear my shots when I go to the Big Apple to do some photographing.
[Of course, all the above ignores anything that might have happened off-camera.]
Don,
You also ignored the fact that it was in Atlanta as well. If there was any other question about it the bus that went by was painted in MARTA livery.
Jeff…you are correct, dumb error on my part. I should have realized it was Atlanta and not NY…but still my question remains. “Disorderly conduct” seems too often to be misused especially when no charges are later filed.
Video only works with IE; I refuse to use it. MSFT should be arrested for disorderly conduct, not this guy.
Disorderly conduct is often a “bail-in-lieu-of-fine” type of offense, since once the disorderly conduct has been ended by the arrest the matter is pretty much over and done with. Charges don’t even come into it unless (a) the person arrested refuses to pay the bail and the police, due to other, aggravating circumstances, consider the matter worth continuing to pursue.
Apparently you can’t watch MSNBC with Mozilla … maybe it’s just me.