Criminal charges dropped against Fox 5 reporter over oil spill confrontation and arrest
July 2, 2010, by
Pensacola, Fla. officials dropped charges of misdemeanor battery against Fox 5 reporter
George Franco
, who was covering the BP oil spill last month,
.
On June 7, a BP contractor had asked Franco to leave a public parking lot, which he refused to do. The contractor then accused Franco of “roughing him up” and the cops arrested Franco. He said Franco grabbed his arm and spun him around.
"I am happy the prosecutors realized there was no crime committed, but there is no victory," Franco said. "The Pensacola community still loses because of this devastating oil spill."
You can watch the video online for the first time here.
Gene McHugh, general manager at Fox 5, declined to comment about the incident, saying he could only refer to what's on the Web site. He can't recall anyone before in his 13 years getting arrested while on the job at WAGA.
About the Author
Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.
