The US network Fox News has apologised for showing a man fatally shoot himself in the head on live television. Fox News on Friday was covering a high-speed chase in Phoenix, Arizona state, using a live helicopter shot when the incident happened.
“We really messed up and we’re all very sorry,” said anchorman Shepard Smith, who told viewers that a five-second delay in the live feed ought to have enabled the graphic scene to be stopped before going on air.
As a camera in a helicopter provided live coverage, the man stopped a short distance away, pulled the trigger of a gun pointed to the right side of his head and crumpled face-forward into the ground. Thompson says Romero had previous convictions for violent acts and was wanted for parole violations.
Police spokesman Sgt Tommy Thompson said the man was alleged to have stolen the car from a couple at gunpoint outside a restaurant just before 11:00 local time (18:00 GMT). The Fox affiliate in Phoenix said police had pursued the carjacking suspect at speeds of up to 110 miles (175 kilometers) per hour for more than an hour, mostly on westbound Interstate 10.
Smith told viewers that the video was supposed to be on a 10-second delay so it could be cut off from airing if something went awry. Insiders at Fox said a producer failed to hit a "dump" button that would have prevented the audience from witnessing the event.
Fox News Channel has a reputation for picking up car chases from its local affiliates and airing them live. "Unfortunately, this mistake was the result of a severe human error and we apologize for what viewers ultimately saw on the screen," Smith said in a statement.
“We really messed up and we’re all very sorry,” said anchorman Shepard Smith, who told viewers that a five-second delay in the live feed ought to have enabled the graphic scene to be stopped before going on air.
As a camera in a helicopter provided live coverage, the man stopped a short distance away, pulled the trigger of a gun pointed to the right side of his head and crumpled face-forward into the ground. Thompson says Romero had previous convictions for violent acts and was wanted for parole violations.
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| The US network Fox News has apologised for showing a man fatally shoot himself in the head on live television. |
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| The US network Fox News has apologised for showing a man fatally shoot himself in the head on live television. |
Smith told viewers that the video was supposed to be on a 10-second delay so it could be cut off from airing if something went awry. Insiders at Fox said a producer failed to hit a "dump" button that would have prevented the audience from witnessing the event.
Fox News Channel has a reputation for picking up car chases from its local affiliates and airing them live. "Unfortunately, this mistake was the result of a severe human error and we apologize for what viewers ultimately saw on the screen," Smith said in a statement.
