The Quincy Herald-Whig said it took a jury 55 minutes to find Roger Parker guilty of felony aggravated battery in a public place, felony intimidation and a misdemeanor charge of resisting a peace officer after a two day trial. He faces between two and five years in prison.
Parker disrupted a live broadcast by WGEM in the area of Seventh and Lind for the 10 p.m. newscast on Feb. 27. WGEM reporter Jenny Dreasler and cameraman Ben Neisen both testified that Parker was verbally abusive toward them before they went on air. Both said Parker threatened their lives and threatened to break Neisen’s camera.
Dreasler was doing a story about junk littering the area, and the shot was to focus on a vacant lot in the area, both Dreasler and Neisen said.
AdvertisementParker testified that he calmly asked Dreasler and Neisen not to film his property. He told the pair he was “going to (expletive) up the broadcast.”
Assistant State’s Attorney Josh Jones showed video of the broadcast, which showed a man dressed in a puffy orange winter coat blocking the camera. The man turned around and then grabbed the camera. The video stopped after several seconds, and the live broadcast was cut short.
Dreasler nearly broke down on the stand while testifying Monday afternoon.
“I was honestly scared for my life,” she said.