Assault charges pending in attack against Express photographer

Brendan Miller Red Deer Express

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A local man will be charged in connection with an assault against Red Deer Express photographer Brendan Miller.

The incident took place at about 9:30 a.m. Monday morning at the 7-11 located at 5925 – 54 Ave.

The man, who can't yet be named because charges are still pending, will be charged with assault, said Red Deer city RCMP Cpl. Kathe DeHeer. A first appearance court date has yet to be determined, she said.

Miller had gone to the 7-11 store after learning a car had hit the building.

“I raced down there,” recalls Miller, adding no RCMP or emergency vehicles were yet onsite. “I got out of my vehicle and started approaching the scene. I was checking my camera gear to make sure the exposure was on.”

He was approached by a man who told him there would be no photos taken.

“I told him I was going to take the photo.” The man pushed Miller, who then pushed back and managed to snap a frame on his camera.

“That's when I was attacked. I was mauled by the guy pretty much to the ground. He threw me to the ground with my camera gear on and he unfortunately busted one of my cameras.”

Things then died down and the police arrived.

Miller had a sore shoulder from the incident, but he's really hoping for compensation for his camera. He estimates the damages to be around $1,500.

Express editor Johnnie Bachusky said that what happened to Miller was “simply unacceptable and intolerable.

“Everybody has to understand that the media has an important role in the community, and they have to be able to do it without any threats of intimidation or violence against them.

“I commend the RCMP for dealing with this matter as expeditiously and professionally as they did.”

DeHeer said if someone chooses to resort to violence as opposed to resolving something peacefully or even walking away to cool off, they will be charged. Fines or prison terms can be the result of getting violent in a given situation, she said.

Even relatively minor conflicts can get immediately explosive.

“We take it all very seriously, and it can escalate very quickly into something even more dangerous.”

Meanwhile, Miller, who just started at the Express about a month ago, said he's never encountered a situation like this.

“I've shot a lot of highly emotional situations,” he said. “You get a lot of people who don't want you there and don't agree with you taking photos, but I've never had anyone physically touch me.

“What's important is that just because we're the media, it doesn't mean (people) can handle us with their own ways just because they don't like what we're doing. You can't manhandle us because you don't like what we're covering.”