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Crimes happening while reporters are doing their jobs are more likely than you think. Read on about this KPIX news reporter who was robbed.

Sadly ironic: KPIX news reporter robbed while reporting on theft

It’s always weird when the people reporting on the news make the news themselves. In the world of true crime, there are several cases involving news anchors at the center of their own crimes. A KPIX news reporter in San Francisco found himself in the middle of his own emergency. Adding irony to the whole situation, he was robbed while reporting on robberies.

So why would a KPIX news reporter get robbed? Who thought that was a good idea? Will the robber ever get caught? Is the reporter okay? We’ll get into all that and more as we dive into the latest fascinating case of when the news gets a little too real for the people that are supposed to be behind the desk.

What happened?

KPIX news reporter Don Ford was preparing to interview residents about a series of car break-ins around the Twin Peaks area. That’s when four men pulled up in a luxury white sedan and got out of the car. One of them pulled out a gun and told Ford that he was taking the KPIX news camera. Ford, describing the situation, did exactly what he was supposed to do.

“My whole thought at the moment was ‘Be calm. Let’s not get this guy excited. He’s got the gun. I don’t. So you take the camera. It’s yours, buddy.’” Good move. Always give the robber what they want and hope it can be recovered later. No item is worth your life here, people. Besides, the camera, like many expensive pieces of equipment, had a tracking chip in it.

The cops were able to recover the KPIX news camera later on Wednesday. No arrests have been made at this time in connection to the theft. City Supervisor Rafael Mandelman said on Twitter, “We need to adequately resource public safety agencies, adopt better strategies to stop repeat offenders, and make clear that San Francisco is not a place that you can commit crimes and put people’s lives at risk with impunity.” 

Things like this have happened before? 

KPIX news isn’t the first news station to have a crime committed against their personnel while they were reporting a story. The most infamous case in the use is the murders of Alison Park & Adam Ward, a reporter & cameraman respectively. They were interviewing the director of the local chamber of commerce on a story in 2015 when the three were shot. Ward & Park died at the scene. 

The gunman ended up being a former reporter for their news station who was fired in 2013 for disruptive conduct. He even uploaded a first-person video of his crime to the internet, which was taken down. After that? It was a five-hour manhunt that ended with him shooting himself and dying at the hospital. 

Of course, that’s an extreme example of what could have happened to KPIX news reporter Don Ford. The news has caught some disturbing crimes in progress over the years.

What happens now?

Police do their investigation and see what comes up. We’re willing to bet that Ford had a witness description of the four men. There’s always a chance that fingerprints were left behind on the camera. Better yet, maybe the group filmed themselves. Criminals have done stupider things after breaking the law. Or even prior to breaking the law, but it’s not outside the realm of possibility.

Whether or not Don Ford will do field reporting alone for a while remains to be seen. I’d be trying to get into a partner duo or a group. There’s not always safety in numbers, but it could scare people off.

Do you think the KPIX news robbers will ever be caught? What other crimes that occurred on-air do you know about? Share in the comments below. 

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