A bodyguard for long-time White House correspondent April Ryan has been criminally charged after he allegedly forced a local reporter out of an event in New Brunswick featuring Ryan as a speaker. According to the police report, the bodyguard took the journalist’s camera and twisted his arm behind his back, allegedly injuring the reporter.
Charlie Kratovil, editor of New Brunswick Today, claimed the guard “violently removed” him from the August 3 event at The Heldrich Hotel.
Ryan, who has been a target for Trump and his supporters, said she hired a bodyguard after receiving death threats. And in her recently-published book, “Under Fire,” she detailed the challenges she and other journalists face as President Donald Trump has verbally attacked the press. In the past, Ryan has told her followers that if anything ever happened to her it would most likely be due to Trump and his MAGA supporters.
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“A criminal complaint dated August 19 charges 30-year-old Joel Morris of Country Club Hills, Illinois, with harassment, assault and theft. It alleges Morris took Kratovil’s arm and shoved it behind his back, injuring his forearm and shoulder. The harassment and theft charges stem from Morris taking the camera, according to the complaint,” NJ.com reported.
While Kratovil said he received permission and arrived at the hotel, checked in, and recorded other speakers for two hours without issue, Ryan said she doesn’t allow recording and photography during her speeches. “What I will say, when I speak, I don’t have news covering my speeches,” Ryan told the crowd.
When the guard approached Kratovil about his camera and recording it was all caught on video.
“Don’t touch my camera,” Kratovil is heard saying. “Don’t you dare, put that down, sir. That’s my camera.”
In a second video posted to YouTube by Kratovil, the guard is seen forcibly escorting him across the room and out the door.
Ryan has not issued a statement other to say she “did not order anyone to do anything.”
