Incident Details
- Date of Incident
- May 29, 2020
- Location
- Louisville, Kentucky
- Targets
- Deni Kamper (WLKY)
- Assailant
- Private individual
- Was the journalist targeted?
- Yes
Assault
Deni Kamper, a correspondent for local broadcast station WLKY, and her news partner were assaulted by individuals while covering protests in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, on May 29, 2020.
Protests in Louisville have centered around the deaths of Breonna Taylor, shot and killed inside her home by Louisville police in March, and the death of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police on May 25.
Kamper was attacked by a mob of people alongside photographer Paul Ahmann, but reported in a tweet that she was “ok,” writing, “A lot of people helped us tonight and I’m so grateful.”
Shaky video of the attack was livestreamed on Facebook. In the footage, Ahmann lays on the ground as the crowd takes photos and videos of him, while at least one man visibly tries to hold the crowd back.
Kamper and Ahmann did not immediately respond to an emailed interview request.
Their news vehicle was also vandalized and later set on fire, and another WLKY news vehicle was vandalized that night. At least one other WLKY news crew was also attacked. The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker documented all May 29 WLKY incidents here.
The Tracker documents journalists being assaulted, arrested, struck by crowd-control ammunition or tear gas or who had their equipment damaged in the course of reporting. Find all incidents related to Black Lives Matter and anti-police brutality protests here.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker catalogues press freedom violations in the United States. Email tips to [email protected].
