Baltimore rioters target media; bloodied photographer accused of faking it

Criminal violence escalated in Baltimore overnight Monday as numerous reports came out that members of the media were being targeted by rioters.

Fox News reporter Rick Leventhal described his experience to Shepard Smith Monday night.

“There were a lot of people on the street who were upset, just at our being there,” Leventhal said. “And we got harassed by some people, and some people started following us and yelling at us, and then people started throwing bottles at us.

“It got really hairy.”

Leventhal and his crew weren’t injured, but other members of the media didn’t fare so well.

Our @CCTV_America cameraman was just attacked by protestors and his camera stolen. #FreddyGray pic.twitter.com/STR6e9LowT — jim spellman (@jimspellmanTV) April 27, 2015

Protesters? Tweeters called journalists out for not knowing what they were reporting on.

Protesters did not attack your cameraman. Those were rioters. @jimspellmanTV @CCTV_America @EyeOnPolitics

— Loren Heal (@lheal) April 27, 2015

@jimspellmanTV @dravazed @CCTV_America If you call yourselves journalists perhaps stop trying to conflate protest with forms of criminality. — Archibald Tuttle (@DeadPrecariat) April 27, 2015

Others suspected the injury was fake.

@jimspellmanTV @AlexiLalas @CCTV_America That looks fake to me. Is it just me?

— Alec Rome (@RomeForReal) April 28, 2015

@jimspellmanTV @drewwest_press @CCTV_America Humble apologies, but it looks fake.

— Amaterasu Solar (@AmaterasuSolar) April 28, 2015

@jimspellmanTV there’s nothing indicating a struggle here. No bruising, not a rock. Clean cuts. Looks more self inflicted or with help

— UNMENTIONABLE VICE (@unmentionedvice) April 28, 2015

For any doubters, though, there were many more attacks.

.@RickLeventhal says reporters being attacked and assaulted on the streets of #Baltimore tonight. #KellyFile pic.twitter.com/eoWNJxQnje

— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) April 28, 2015

Our photo editor Chris Assaf was just assaulted by a mob of looters while taking pictures on Howard Street — Carrie Wells (@cwellssun) April 28, 2015

Our friend & fellow mom reporter @petulad from @WashPostDC was attacked tonight in Baltimore. Thanks stranger who rescued awesome Petula!

— Rebecca Cooper Dupin (@ABC7Rebecca) April 28, 2015

On @wbaltv11 livestream: @BarrySimmsWBAL says they “gotta get out of there” because his photographer’s getting beat up. #Baltimore — Hallie Jackson (@HallieJackson) April 27, 2015

One of our photographers is at Mercy after getting jumped and attacked downtown; another reeks from 15 feet away of smoke from the fire

— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) April 28, 2015

“People are not afraid of the police. They are emboldened.” said a @baltimoresun reporter attacked earlier for his cell phone in Bmore. — Tara Setmayer (@TaraSetmayer) April 27, 2015

Reporter @CNNewsCrew Jumped, Robbed At #BaltimoreRiots http://t.co/qXtexB24gu pic.twitter.com/LB4uCe3qk2

— Breaking News (@Breaking911) April 27, 2015

Not everyone is feeling a lot of empathy for the media.

@Breaking911 @CNNewsCrew don’t deserve that but you are partly responsible for the non-sense. — Steve (@stevekacal) April 27, 2015

.@Breaking911 @CNNewsCrew You and your ppl at @CNN have fueled these riots by the type of coverage you do. No tears for you.

— Karen Doe (@KarenDoe50) April 27, 2015

@Breaking911 @JMemblatt @CNNewsCrew Liberal media perpetuates the behavior. Deal with it. No sympathy. — Ray Sanders (@Ray_Sanders64) April 28, 2015

@jimspellmanTV @PDPJ @CCTV_America So natch you let it bleed all over you for a photo op. I hope you get infected, shill.

— Anarchist Dalek (@AnarchistDalek) April 28, 2015

@jimspellmanTV @ChaboiJoee @CCTV_America there’s people dead out there. and you’re worried about him? — Sass Ass Alexis ✖️ (@shadesoflarryy) April 28, 2015

look at him all alive and shit RT @jimspellmanTV: Our cameraman was just attacked by protestors and camera stolen. pic.twitter.com/VfsK3PknX3

— Till Odinson (@thetillshow) April 28, 2015

H/T: Twitchy.com

The following video purportedly shows a cameraman being attacked outside a mall in Baltimore.

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