Incident Details
- Date of Incident
- July 28, 2022
- Location
- Thomasville, North Carolina
- Targets
- Derrick Deon Reid (WGHP)
- Assailant
- Private individual
- Was the journalist targeted?
- Yes
Assault
- Equipment Broken
- Actor
- Private individual
Equipment Damage
Two men found guilty of assault on photojournalist; first sentenced to 2.5 years
One of two men who assaulted WGHP TV photojournalist Derrick Deon Reid while he was shooting in Thomasville, North Carolina, was found guilty of multiple charges and sentenced to prison time for the assault on Aug. 14, 2024, a Davidson County court clerk confirmed to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker. The other assailant was found guilty of assault but not yet sentenced.
Reid was gathering footage for a report on animal mistreatment claims at a dog boarding facility, which had been fined for violating the state’s Animal Protection Act, when Marshall Everhart attacked him, along with Zachary Everhart, one of the facility’s owners.
The Winston-Salem Journal reported that Marshall Everhart broke or loosened Reid’s teeth and possibly injured his jaw, held Reid against his will and damaged his car and video camera, the latter which he tried to take. Marshall Everhart was arrested at the scene, while Zachary Everhart later turned himself in to the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office.
The Davidson County Sheriff told the Journal that he believed the two Everharts were related but didn’t know how.
The two assailants were tried on charges of assault inflicting serious bodily injury, felony robbery with a dangerous weapon and assault with a deadly weapon. Zachary Everhart was sentenced on all three charges to 2 1/2 to 4 1/2 years in prison.
The jury found Marshall Everhart guilty of simple assault, but couldn’t agree on the other two charges. The Davidson County Court clerk told the Tracker that the court put off sentencing him and would likely schedule another trial because of the hung jury.
FOX8 photojournalist Derrick Deon Reid was assaulted by two men on July 28, 2022, while reporting on animal mistreatment claims at a dog boarding facility in Davidson County, North Carolina, according to news reports.
Reid, who was not identified by FOX8 in a report about the assault, was later identified by the Winston-Salem Journal. According to FOX8, Reid was gathering footage on an animal boarding facility previously fined for violating the state’s Animal Protection Act when Marshall Everhart and Zachary Everhart, one of the facility’s owners, attacked him.
According to an arrest warrant obtained by the Winston-Salem Journal, Reid sustained broken or loosened teeth and possibly a broken jaw. The warrant also accuses Marshall Everhart of holding Reid against his will and damaging his camera equipment after trying to take the camera from him. Official documents state that he also damaged Reid’s vehicle, causing more than $200 in damage.
The Davidson County Sheriff’s Department, which did not respond to a request for comment from the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, arrested Marshall Everhart after the incident, while Zachary Everhart turned himself in to the sheriff’s office. Officials charged both men with felony larceny, assault inflicting serious bodily injury, kidnapping and injury to personal property.
FOX8 did not respond to requests for comment from the Tracker. In a statement to the Winston-Salem Journal, FOX8 Vice President and General Manager Jim Himes declined to comment on Reid’s condition, citing federal privacy laws.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker catalogues press freedom violations in the United States. Email tips to [email protected].
