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Fox News accidentally airs Arizona carjacking suspect's suicide on live tv

Shortline Bus

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Shortline Bus

Shortline Bus

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arizona29n-7-web.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

"A red-faced Fox News issued an immediate apology Friday afternoon after the network accidentally aired live footage of an Arizona carjacking suspect committing suicide.

 

“We really messed up, and we’re all really sorry,” said anchor Shepard Smith, who was caught cringing on camera after the man pointed a gun to his head and pulled the trigger.

 

“That didn’t belong on TV”

 

The network was covering a high-speed car chase. The driver of a stolen SUV pulled into a remote road around 3:31 p.m Eastern Time., abandoned the car and began running away.

 

Smith provided a play-by-play narration as the man stumbled, got up, and then reached down to grab his weapon. As he aimed the gun at his head, gasps were audible in the newsroom and Smith began shouting.

 

Get off, get off, get off,” said Smith, his voice rising. “Get off it! Get off it! Get off it.”

 

 

 

Seconds after the suicidal man fell face first to the ground, Fox cut away to a commercial.

 

Smith was ready with an apology when the station returned to his afternoon show, which has an audience of about 1.9 million viewers.

 

“I personally apologize to you that it happened,” said Smith, explaining that there was a mixup with the network delay.

 

“We took every precaution we knew how to take to keep that from being on TV. And I personally apologize to you that that happened ... It is insensitive, it is just wrong. And that won’t happen again on my watch.”

 

Police had been pursuing the carjacking suspect in Salome, a small town in the far western reaches of Arizona."

 

 

 

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CDTA

CDTA

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Well I still wonder how everything happened. Well Now It says it was a "severe human error" that they made. But still the chase should have terminated way before the suspect shot himself, like the phoenix station. Anyways, thats going to leave a really bad mark to fox news.

 

 

Well it's not like they can get any worse...

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Shortline Bus

Shortline Bus

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I don't understand why everyone (not here) is so uptight. I think with all the violence in films, we should all be desensitized to such acts by now. I don't blame the network either, it could've happened to anyone.

 

 

I had oringally put up the unedited clip from youtube. Guess Fox News execs are trying hard asap to pretend it never happen (this incident) by trying to take off that controversial clip.

Seeing it i agree concourse it no worse than a bad violent scene in a "R" rated movie.

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Shortline Bus

Shortline Bus

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Always go to liveleak to watch something YouTube won't allow! WARNING: GRAPHIC OF COURSE

 

http://www.liveleak....=9ba_1348861909

 

 

Thanks for tip Brett. I am surprised that at least during overnights one of the cable news channels does not show unedited, (i.e this incident)violent events and also unedited comments from pols and celebs alike.

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aemoreira81

aemoreira81

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I wonder if, even though this was an accidential airing, if the FCC is going to place a fine on Fox News.

 

 

The FCC doesn't regulate cable networks...and this isn't really malicious or lewd and lascivious. And there has been even worse on broadcast TV---let's flash back to January 22, 1987 in Harrisburg. R. Budd Dwyer, who had just been convicted of bribery based on testimony that years later was admitted to be false, called a news conference at which he was expected to resign, but Dwyer committed suicide in front of news cameras instead. On the evening newscasts that night, the ABC owned-and-operated station in Philadelphia (WPVI) chose to air Dwyer's suicide completely uncut, in what was a controversial move (competitors chose to freeze it before Dwyer pulled the trigger). The NBC affiliate in Pittsburgh, WPXI also aired the footage uncut from an AP feed. (Dwyer killed himself, BTW, to preserve the pension for his wife and kids, as he was still a state employee.)

 

The actual suicide is on YouTube (posted there because it's newsworthy).

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User

User

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I love how everyone's saying it's "typical Fox" when the same thing could've happened to one of the liberal stations and no one would be talking.

 

Well, it quickly becomes "typical Fox" when you watch the apology in the video I posted above and see the BS story they came up with.
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Phantom909

Phantom909

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Well, it quickly becomes "typical Fox" when you watch the apology in the video I posted above and see the BS story they came up with.

 

 

At least FOX news doesnt edit videos especially like MSNBC (ex Trayvon Martin 911 call) and are responsible enough to apologise for it

 

BTW I love the ending of the video, one less mutt Arizona taxpayers will have to pay for his 3 hots and a cot.

 

Joe

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Shortline Bus

Shortline Bus

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Not to go off topic guys but this incident brings up a long time argument in tv news? Should violent events such as suicides, shooting/murders, warfare etc.be shown *UNEDITED* even on so called cable news channels? That was a huge issue right after 9/11 when after hundreds of viewers complained about both about the scenes of the 1st plane hitting the WTC Towers and later ppl. jumping from the towers was edited.

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MHV9218

MHV9218

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I don't understand why everyone (not here) is so uptight. I think with all the violence in films, we should all be desensitized to such acts by now. I don't blame the network either, it could've happened to anyone.

 

 

I mean, a guy getting "shot" in a movie with a fake blood packet exploding is different than a live human being blowing his brains out for everybody to watch. I can take bad action in movies, but let me tell you something, I don't like seeing gruesome scenes in real life. In this case I think it was an actual error, but don't compare it to a movie.

 

By the way, the newscaster is a moron.

 

 

Shep Smith is actually one of the most rational people on Fox News, known for taking a stand on important issues. I thought that was a decent apology as well, he's an okay guy.

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BM5 via Woodhaven

BM5 via Woodhaven

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I mean, a guy getting "shot" in a movie with a fake blood packet exploding is different than a live human being blowing his brains out for everybody to watch. I can take bad action in movies, but let me tell you something, I don't like seeing gruesome scenes in real life.

 

 

Yeah, movies well you kinda know it's a fake blood thing, that's why people don't get too afraid. But witnessing it in person or by TV is gruesome.

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