A pair of dreadlock-sporting vagrants in Berkeley attacked noted KRON 4 reporter (and SFist favorite) Stanley Roberts this week while he was doing a segment outside Amoeba Music on Telegraph Avenue. The journalist, best know for his "People Behaving Badly" news segments, was preparing a report on problematic panhandlers. He soon found himself on the receiving end of some bad behavior by said mendicants.

"No matter where I moved, they followed me," Roberts explained to Oakland Tribune. "I never saw it coming."

Via Facebook, Roberts writes:

[...] For the record I am fine, outside of a sprained back. I refused to go down without a fight and I used equal force to defend myself, in other words I got my licks in too. Hey I'm from Philly what would you expect!! I have been ordered by a doctor to take a mini break so I will. To me it was just another day in paradise! I pressed charges and will seek justice. I want to make it clear it is not OK to assault a journalist ever!

Oakland Tribune has more on what happened during the assault:

When the first man attacked, Roberts said he turned around, grabbed him by the throat and pushed him up against a wall, telling him to not touch him before he let him go. Roberts then said he tried to walk away but that the men followed him and attacked again. "I decided that time I was going to fight back," he said.



Roberts pressed charged, thankfully. The two were later arrested on suspicion of battery and felony vandalism. During the melee, Roberts had his "press credentials stolen and his $5,000 camera and $1,000 microphone broken before police arrived."

Video of the assault below:

Previously: 10 Things That Would Be Nicer If Only We Had Listened To Stanley Roberts

Stanley Roberts Takes On Valencia Street Bike Lane Parking