Fox reporter bleeds in on-camera attack

Status
Not open for further replies.

Desertdog

Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2002
Messages
1,980
Location
Ridgecrest Ca
He was lucky the man he was interviewing was a big guy and came to his aid.

Fox reporter bleeds in on-camera attack
Investigative TV journalist gouged, flayed by man who admits to problem with anger
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=51874


By Joe Kovacs
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

An investigative reporter for a Fox television affiliate in southern California is recuperating after suffering cracked ribs, bite wounds and a gouged face in a confrontation caught on camera.

"I was just going to do some interviews and got attacked," said John Mattes, an attorney and journalist for Fox 6 News in San Diego. "We were doing a series of interviews on a gentleman who's been threatening people in La Jolla, businessmen, people in the community, his neighbors."

The person who was the subject of the TV station's probe is alleged real estate fraudster Sam Suleiman, who is shown on video walking up to Mattes yesterday and immediately unleashing an onslaught of physical fury.


John Mattes on the ground after being assaulted (Fox 6 News)

"We all thought he'd come screaming, but he literally just came flying straight at me and just BOOM!" Mattes told his station in a post-attack interview. "He didn't even stop, didn't even slow down. And I'm feeling someone ripping at my face, pulling my hair. We're not talking about someone going a few rounds, we're talking about someone ripping, gouging, scratching, and biting me! I just don't understand ... this cannot be going on."

Also at the scene was Suleiman's wife, Rosa Baraza, who Mattes says talked about grabbing a firearm.

"I'm fighting not to get hurt," Mattes said, "but then to hear the screams of his wife, 'I'm getting the gun,' knowing the context of this person, I mean it was terrifying."

Footage shows Suleiman punching Mattes in the face and head, as well putting him in a head lock. The man slated to be interviewed is also shown trying to pull Suleiman off of Mattes as all three fall to the ground and continue to grapple.

The incident was documented by videographer Dennis Waldrop, who was teamed with Mattes for the report. San Diego police finally showed up on the scene, and are shown ordering Suleiman to the ground at gunpoint.

Fox 6 aired footage of Suleiman before the attack admitting in a cell-phone message that he did have problems controlling his anger.

"I do have a bit of anger management – [an] anger problem, and I signed up for this class here last week, so, you know, I'm learning to control it," the voice message said.

Mattes was hospitalized with cracked ribs, but was later released.

Suleiman and Baraza were both arrested and face a variety of charges. Fox 6 told WND Suleiman is charged with battery, while his wife faces charges of battery, brandishing a weapon (a rock), grand theft and making criminal threats.

Video footage of the incident from Fox 6 News can be seen here.
http://video.fox6.com/viewer/viewer...fID=2&limit=8&tf=xetvviewer.tpl&Category_ID=5
 
If it is the same one I think it is it is on YouTube. just search for reporter beat up.

This doesn't surprise me. I don't know the facts of this case or where the reporter was when the attack happened but on the news we often see reporters in peoples yards and at their doors trying to talk to them and the people trying to make them leave. It seems like more reporters would get beat up.
 
The reporter was interviewing one of Suleiman's "fraud victims" on private property not belonging to Suleiman when Suleiman's wife showed up an assaulted the reporter and then Suleiman showed up and joined in the fray - this according to the video interview with the Fox reporter.
 
According to Florida law - if that reporter was packing, he'd be legally justified in defending himself with deadly force.


That type of attack CAN be considered "serious bodily injury or harm"...


People have DIED from being punched just a single time, either to the head or to the chest.
 
If I was the reporter and got the crap beat out of me by that guy...

and had any strength and wits left, I'd beat the living bejeezus out of my cameraman for not putting the damned thing down and helping me. :scrutiny:
 
Gewehr--

I heard someone interviewing the beat up reporter and he asked the question, "aren't you irritated that your camera man kept filming instead of helping?"
He answered by saying no, he wanted it on tape.

Of course, I thought that a bit weird until a few minutes later, they played an old interview with the Croc Hunter saying he wanted people to see his snuff film...
 
I asked with those against you would it be sufficient to shoot if you were a CCW permitee?...

No. There was no deadly weapon and no disparity of force. Actually the disparity was against the perp. If the woman had joined in it still would have been 2 men against 1 man, 1 woman. The disparity is still on the side of the reporter. Simple battery is not a forcible felony, it's a misdemeanor.
 
over played on fox news

I think I would have knocked ms bimbo over if that had been me.
The bad guy seemed to be going for the eyes, if I feel my eyes are about to be
gouged , I'll shoot.
CA law is ok with shooting someone who is trying to maim you, a rock is a also a dealy weapon but I think overall I could have handled mr and missus stupid crook without shooting.
 
The crook fought pretty well. He has a history of violence. The reporter was a sheeple. Sheeple tend to get hurt. If the reporter would have rising blocked the round house he could have palm struck the guy up the nose at least. what he did do was play punching bag. If Couloman has any money from his crooked realestate deals maybe a bashing would be worth it. Last time(20 years ago) somebody pulled that crap on me they got 33 stitches. 6 years ago one of my sons got sneak attacked for nothing and he put his attacker in intensive care! Yup both times we had to explain to cops, lucky for plenty of good witnesses!:neener: I didn't raise my sons , nor was I raised to be a sheeple, but it takes all kinds of fruits and nuts , some times the fruits get big $$ from the nuts!::p
 
No. There was no deadly weapon and no disparity of force.

While on the ground and taking a beating, if I heard a woman (the wife of the guy beating me) yell she was getting a gun, and this was all on camera,I'd have to consider the possibility that she was actually doing what she said, and a "reasonable person" might assume there was a weapon.

So I'm not sure you can flatly say that this was not a case where a shoot would have been justified but as always it would be up to a jury. Now since it was a clueless reporter it's all academic anyway.

An argument could also be made that because of the way the guy jumped the reporter, with no warning and extreme aggression, that his intent was to do more than just beat him up.

There is also the "known history" thing that is in common law. If you KNOW that a guy is a black belt BEFORE he attacks you, you can use that knowledge to justify more force. This reporter knew the guy had a history of extreme violence since he was doing a story on him. If he'd shot the guy he could testify that he had prior knowledge of a history of extreme violence and that might help too.

"I'm fighting not to get hurt," Mattes said, "but then to hear the screams of his wife, 'I'm getting the gun,' knowing the context of this person, I mean it was terrifying."

Fox 6 aired footage of Suleiman before the attack admitting in a cell-phone message that he did have problems controlling his anger.



See, he had prior knowledge of the character of these people.

She was also charged with brandishing a weapon, so it's clear there was a weapon present and a rock will kill you as dead as a gun.

It's always fuzzier than a yes/no.
 
The guy was total condition white. Even in such a hostile situation with the guys wife. I saw it on the news yesterday morning and that guy just sat there and watched that guy come for him.
 
It's always fuzzier than a yes/no.

You're right. I didn't fully consider the "rock" or the "gun statement".


But like Merk said, the guy was totally off-guard. The reporter is probably a Cali anti and has that, "It will never happen to me", attitude. I would like to hear what he has to say now.
 
The attacker's name is Suleiman. Wasn't that the name of the Turkish (Muslim) sultan who besieged Vienna a few centuries ago while trying to take over Christendom? In August 1521 he captured Belgrade and massacred the Hungarian Christian inhabitants and hauled away the Serbs. For a 'religion of peace', Islam sure produces a lot of warmongering dudes. And are we sure we know what we're doing letting so many of them immigrate here, both legally and illegally over our virtually undefended borders?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top