SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - A brazen masked armed bandit robbed two news crews – including a crew from KTVU Fox 2 – early Thursday morning.
Crews from four Bay Area television stations were reporting on a fatal shooting that occurred on San Francisco’s Pier 14 on the Embarcadero on Wednesday night.
A man armed with a handgun and wearing a black mask approached the crews around 6 a.m. while KTVU Fox 2 reporter Cara Liu was preparing to go live for the KTVU Morning News.
As anchor Brian Flores went to Liu’s report, she is visibly distracted and looking off camera.
Nearby, the unidentified bandit was pistol-whipping KNTV cameraman Alan Waples and his equipment was being stolen.
Startled, Liu asked Flores to “hold on wait.”
She then came back on-air to say an incident had occurred. Off camera, the bandit pointed a gun at KTVU Fox 2 cameraman Keith Crook and fled with his camera and tripod.
Fortunately neither Liu nor Crook were injured.
The getaway vehicle is described as a black BMW 7 Series without a rear license plate. A second suspect was driving the vehicle.
Bandits targeting TV news crews have been a growing concern for several years. Both Crook and Liu have been victims in previous attacks.
Police investigators are reviewing video of the incident provided by the television stations.