ABC News claims Massey CEO attacked producer

[MadAnne]

http://www.wvgazette.com/latest/200804030277

[MountainLaurel]

1. Saw that in my hometown rag

Could Blankenship be even more of a slime ball? Bastard probably has to ooze out of bed in the morning.

[neverlander]

2. SSM

Stupid, stupid man.
He does these things to himself.

[skywv]

3. You'd do the same thing..

If two or 3 people jumped out of a van on your private property and ambushed you with a video camera and sound equipment... you do the same thing. These people (news video) are the nothing more than gorilla style paparazzi. We as West Virginians don't take kindly to this sort of thing and you know it! You especially don't ambush a man who's been shot at in the past. You wouldn't stand for it and neither will he.

You people display the exact mentality that has kept WV dead last for 100 years: Just because you dont like someone, you think THEY"RE at fault no matter what!

[crystal dawn]

4. please stop defending Blankenship...

...it makes you look like a tool.

[skywv]

5. please stop defending Blankenship...

I rest my case....

[crystal dawn]

6. Yes, let's divert the topic, because that works so well at the Heavy Drinkers

Blankenship has the opulence of political and economical power in order to "keep the power." We have a Supreme Court Justice who just so happens to be one of the Deciders in a case against defendant Massey and also just so happens to vacation with said defendant. I'm sure it's simply circumstantial!!!

As you defend him (we can only speculate as to why...lol!!!) because someone shoved a mean camera in his face. Keep playing the tool. That's what Blankenship is using you as. A tool. hahahahaha!

btw, did anyone catch the evening news tonight on ABC? LOL!

[skywv]

7. Yes, let's divert the topic,

Yes let's do... because that's all you know.

What's the topic? The topic is Dons altercation with an ambush news cameraman and crew.

It's not about his politics, or his business, or mountaintop removal.

It's about how this man handled an ambush on private property.

How would YOU have handled it if a bunch of people jumped out of an enclosed van in YOUR driveway?

THAT'S the topic.

[slyfox]

8. I Agree

I agree with your point on this 100%. Don Blankenship has had his life threatened on more than one occassion. For the media to ambush him in his own driveway in an unmarked van is ludicrous.

I would respond the same way if someone ambushed me in my own driveway.

I am not a supporter of Blankenship on many things but on this I have to say he had every right to respond the way he did. As I would do the same.

[Lasher]

9. That's not the way I've seen the incident portrayed

I didn't know Blankenship's life had been threatened. Will you please point me to a reliable source where I can learn more about that?

And please tell me more about the recent incident in his driveway. You and Jerry are characterizing this as an act of self defense on his part but I've not read anything elsewhere that indicates Blankenship was first attacked by the news crew. My understanding is, it was Blankenship who did the attacking, as well as threatening to shoot them.

[crystal dawn]

10. The incident was aired on ABC the other night

It was obvious the cameraman and producer were walking toward Blankenship asking him questions. An ambush or a threat? Only in Jerry's twisted mind.

Blankenship said "you're liable to get shot," and then HE attacked the camera/producer. He could have easily walked away and into the building. But he chose not to. Instead, Blankenship is trying to project his actions onto the camera crew. While his tools just want to find any excuse to divert the issue and spin it. Classic uber defense.

[Lasher]

11. Well I know it didn't happen as it's characterized here.

For one thing, it didn't happen "...in his own driveway..." as slyfox assumed, helped along by Jerry's previous message in which he mischaracterized "...YOUR driveway" as being the same as the parking lot of Massey's offices in Belfry, Ky where the altercation actually occurred. This is just plain wrong.

To me a key question is, was the ABC News crew acting lawfully? I believe they were.

Pursuant to widespread interpretation of the First Amendment, we have an established right to take pictures, both still and moving, in public areas. But this does not extend to all areas. For example, you can not take pictures in Federal courtrooms during trials because defendants' Sixth Amendment rights to a fair trial outweigh the First Amendment.

A private property might ban photography, however, even if it is open to the public. For example, a store, museum, theater, etc. could ban photography. But if there is no specific ban in place, and if you or a news agency are just taking pictures of publicly available images, then IMO you are within your rights.

If you wish to argue that Massey's parking lot was not a public area for the sake of this discussion, then you will likely be defeated by precedent, unless there was something there such as signs that made clear that photography was prohibited.

And so it seems the ABC News crew was acting legally within their Constitutional rights. But in any case the Massey parking lot is not the same at all as "...YOUR driveway". And if Blankenship was not provoked by the ABC News crew in a manner that somehow justified his attack and threat (they smashed him in the face with the camera, etc.), he might be guilty of assault.

Here is a video clip that includes the footage in question. And http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/popup?id=4582833 here> is a slide show that includes captions of the audio]. It's pretty clear to me that Blankenship was the aggressor.

[neverlander]

12. Ok I saw!

I do not believe much of what I see, but this is quite clear.
Blakenship was NOT threatened...he did the threatening.

Like I said above...stupid man.
Now he has a major news provider working day and night to take him out!
Power to the people...at last!!

[Lasher]

13. Here's the slide show I meant to include upthread

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/popup?id=4582833

The slides include captions taken from the audio.