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Man Shoves News Reporter on Live TV, is Arrested for Assault

By Andrew Chow, Esq. on April 23, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

A North Carolina man's attempt to get his 15 minutes of fame landed him behind bars for assault, after he shoved a local news reporter and yelled a racial slur on live TV.

Justin Moore, 20, of Charlotte, N.C., jumped in front of a TV news camera in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and pushed the reporter "nearly to the ground," WMBF-TV reports. The incident aired live during the station's 11 p.m. newscast April 18.

Moore also snatched the reporter's mic and gave an on-air shout-out, to no one in particular: "I am that [N-word]! Aaagghh!" he exclaimed, before the station cut away to tape.

Justin Moore didn't even get 15 seconds of fame, let alone 15 minutes for his TV reporter assault. His surprise cameo lasted just a few brief moments.

But the reporter he shoved wasn't laughing. WMBF's Ashley Taylor called police, who arrested Moore after identifying him from WMBF's video.

Moore now faces a charge of third-degree "assault and battery" -- a misdemeanor in South Carolina that carries up to a $500 fine and 30 days in jail.

In South Carolina, a third-degree assault and battery occurs when a person hurts, or attempts to imminently hurt another person. If the attack caused "moderate" or more severe injuries, the degree of the crime, and the punishments, are also more severe.

Technically, however, an "assault" refers only to a threat of physical injury, while "battery" refers to actual offensive contact. South Carolina, like many states, no longer differentiates between the two.

Justin Moore's TV reporter assault earned him a night in jail before he posted bond and was released, according to WMBF. Reporter Ashley Taylor has since followed-up on her own assault in a news story, which you can watch here:

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