Ohio news photographer covering thunderstorms shot by police officer

[Dan Robinson]

A news photographer in New Carlisle, Ohio was shot while out reportedly trying to capture lightning photos during storms at night. He encountered a law enforcement traffic stop in progress and decided to stop and get photos of it. As he was setting up his tripod and camera, the police officer mistook it for a gun and fired two shots.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-carlisle-ohio-news-photographer-deputy-camera-weapon/

Body camera video from the officer


The photographer was driving an unmarked Jeep (no lettering for his newspaper). Although stopping right next to a cop who has pulled someone over and getting unknown objects out of the back in the dark was probably not a smart move, I can say I have had many encounters from police, security guards and residents while shooting storms at night. They were alarmed by my being out during strange hours in a strange place and decided to confront me. Happens both in the city and out in the middle of nowhere. One more thing to be cognizant of!

 

[Marc R. O'Leary]

See...people tend to give shit to others who are out in BFE and displaying a big SKYWARN magnet on their car, like me. But I know for a fact that as soon as a cop sees that thing, they loosen up. Without the magnet, I'll usually get spotlit...with it they go dark and just, usually, want to see pictures.

 

[Jason Boggs]

I feel bad for the guy who got shot, but I really feel bad for the cop.

 

[rebelrage]

There aren't very many Chasers up here Chaser convergence in Ohio is a total of 5 people cops don't even know what Skywarn is half the time we have a lot of tornadoes up this way that don't get warned because nobody is on them calling in and helping out

Sent from my XT1635-01 using Stormtrack mobile app

 

[rdale]

half the time we have a lot of tornadoes up this way that don't get warned because nobody is on them calling in and helping out

Expand on that?

 

[rebelrage]

Expand on that?

We don't got a lot of big storms up here so there's just not a lot of Chasers it seems that NWS Cleveland don't like to issue warnings just last week there was an ef-2 that didn't get warned I'm far from an expert but I was watching it on pykl3 I personally would have warned it I'm not trying to complain either the main thing is I'm trying to say is storm chasing and Skywarn is just not as popular up here as it is out west so naturally less storms get warned I really got into storm chasing about 4 years ago in that time I can count more tornadoes that haven't had a warning than has in Ohio


Sent from my XT1635-01 using Stormtrack mobile app

 

[Drew Terril]

See...people tend to give shit to others who are out in BFE and displaying a big SKYWARN magnet on their car, like me. But I know for a fact that as soon as a cop sees that thing, they loosen up. Without the magnet, I'll usually get spotlit...with it they go dark and just, usually, want to see pictures.

That's an interesting take. I've always preferred to be a little more incognito, but you bring up a very good point. To be fair, it's probably debatable how incognito I'll be when I have a couple of ham antennas up to go with the CB, but definitely something to think about.

 

[Marc R. O'Leary]

That's an interesting take. I've always preferred to be a little more incognito, but you bring up a very good point. To be fair, it's probably debatable how incognito I'll be when I have a couple of ham antennas up to go with the CB, but definitely something to think about.

To clarify, I don't display the signage when actively chasing during the daytime, as I prefer to be under the radar, so to speak. I only place the large magnets when parked in random places at night.

For what it's worth, it usually deters curious locals as well as providing LEOs with a heads up as to what I'm up to before making contact. Often times they see the magnet and just move on rather than waste their time stopping.