Fox News Apologizes: ‘We Screwed Up!’ On Misreporting Baltimore Shooting [Video]

Something you don’t hear often in the media, especially news media, is an apology. However, Fox News is quick to apologize when something is misreported. That is exactly what Fox News anchor Shepard Smith did on-air Monday for their viewers after an incorrect report was given regarding a shooting by Baltimore Police, as reported by Huffington Post.

The false report was given by Fox News reporter, Mike Tobin. According to The Wrap, Tobin reported to Fox News viewers that around 2:45 ET in the midst of the chaos surrounding the death of Freddie Gray, “a guy running from the cops” was shot by a police officer who was attempting to arrest him.

“As he was running away, that officer drew his weapon and fired and struck the individual who was running away. It was a young, black male, and what we saw on the sidewalk, as the crime scene unfolded there, there was a revolver laying on the ground.”

However, less than an hour later, the Baltimore Police Department took to Twitter and stated emphatically, “reports of a man being shot at North and Pennsylvania Ave are NOT true. Officers have arrested a man for a handgun at the location,” per The Wrap.

Baltimore Police revealed that, as they were arresting a man on unspecified charges, he dropped his handgun and the weapon accidentally discharged.

Tobin reported on what he actually thought he witnessed when he stated, “He ran right in front of us. I never saw the individual turn and do anything I would consider an aggressive act, but we did see the officer draw his weapon and I counted one gunshot.” Yes, he heard a gunshot, but it was not as Tobin thought or reported.

Fox News was quickly informed of their erroneous report by reporter Leland Vittert. Anchor Shepard Smith took the reigns and informed Fox News viewers that the network flubbed up.

“Sounds like what happened is… we screwed up… Mike Tobin thought he saw somebody get shot. And there was a gun, and there was a patient on a stretcher… and what we have is nothing. Our duty as journalists is not to make mistakes. And when we make mistakes, we are duty-bound do correct them immediately and as clearly as possible. So I’m now in correction mode, and we apparently were wrong.”

Thankfully, no one was injured during the incident, and the suspect was taken to a nearby hospital just as a precaution.

Fox News owned up to its mistake in a huge way.

[Photo Credit: aattp.org]