Incident Details
- Date of Incident
- September 9, 2020
- Targets
- WPIX
- Equipment Broken
- Actor
- Private individual
Equipment Damage
Case sealed for man who smashed NYC TV crew’s equipment
The case against the man who caused $2,000 worth of damage to a WPIX television crew’s equipment has been sealed, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker in an email on Oct. 25, 2023.
New York City police arrested Jerry Velez on criminal mischief charges in September 2020 after he was alleged by the district attorney to have pushed over a light pole that WPIX had set up outside Manhattan’s Hudson Yards, causing it to crash into a set of LED lights and a battery pack. Later that day, the New York Post reported, he threw rocks labeled with threatening messages at the windows of WABC-TV’s studio on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
A spokesperson for district attorney told the Tracker that the case against Velez could have been sealed for several reasons: It was dismissed, the defendant accepted a six-month probation deal (a so-called adjournment in contemplation of dismissal), or the defendant pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct or another noncriminal violation.
New York City police arrested a man on criminal mischief charges for damaging a WPIX television crew’s equipment on Sept. 9, 2020.
The criminal charges allege that Jerry Velez, 41, pushed over a light pole that WPIX had set up outside Manhattan’s Hudson Yards on the morning of Sept. 9, causing it to crash into a set of LED lights and a battery pack and causing $2,000 worth of damage, according to court papers shared by the district attorney’s office.
The New York Post reports that a reporter and a photographer were present for the attack on WPIX’s equipment.
About two hours later, Velez was allegedly caught on camera as he tossed rocks at two windows of WABC-TV’s studio in Manhattan’s Upper West Side while the channel’s noon broadcast was underway. One of the rocks had “Fuck ABC 7” written on it and the other carried the message “Whore 666,” the Post reported.
The attacks touched off a brief manhunt before the New York City Police Department tweeted on Sept. 10 that officers arrested Velez in connection with the incident at WABC.
According to court records, Velez told an NYPD detective that he was the culprit in both attacks. He faces three charges of second-degree criminal mischief, a felony charge.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker catalogues press freedom violations in the United States. Email tips to [email protected].
