A Fort Lauderdale man has been arrested after threatening WPLG reporter Ross Palombo and photographer Shane Walker and then destroying some of their equipment while they were setting up for a live shot.
The incident was caught on camera as the man, later identified as Louis Dominic Paolino III, at first threatens the Miami ABC affiliate’s crew by saying, “I’m gonna ask you to take that camera off me once.” When Palombo asks the man, “Are you threatening me?” the man replies, “I am promising you that I will rip that thing off your shoulder so quick and beat you down with it.”
Palombo and Walker were covering a story about a man who had allegedly failed to pay his taxes on time. While Walker was rolling, Paolino unplugged one of the crew’s lights and took it inside his house. He then cut the cord to a second light and broke the bulb to the light with his knife. The arrest report says Paulino pointed the knife at Walker, “threatening to cut his throat.”
Despite the drama, Palombo and Walker made their timeslot on the 11:00 p.m. news with police visible in the background. According to the station, “After the 911 call, officers stormed in, brought in the SWAT team, surrounded the house for two hours, then, when Paolino wouldn’t come out, simply left.
Paolino was taken into custody later. He has been charged with aggravated assault, criminal mischief and grand theft. Damage was estimated to be in excess of $1,400.00.
The station also linked to the police report. Click here to view.
[sfltv]