The Broadcast Is Aired Above.. In Its Entirety. Please Be Advised Before Watching
An alleged carjacking suspect led police on a high speed chase for more than an hour through Phoenix, Ariz., before pulling off the road and appearing to shoot himself in the head on live television.
There Was No Video Delay
Embarrassed Fox News executives and shocked viewers from coast to coast were horrified Friday when the network aired an Arizona carjacker’s
suicide on live television.
The stunning feed of the fleeing suspect putting a gun to his head and pulling the trigger aired at 3:31 p.m., with anchor Shepard Smith caught cringing before the coverage ended — seconds too late.
Distressed Anchor Orders Crew To Stop Broadcast
“Get off, get off, get off,” said a clearly distraught Smith, his voice rising as the man’s deadly intent became clear. “Get off it! Get off it! Get off it!”
Human Error
The network blamed human error for the gruesome gaffe, with one source indicating a Fox producer was slow to cut away from live coverage of what started as a high-speed police chase.
The unidentified man was pronounced dead in the Arizona outback shortly after Fox viewers watched the mortally wounded suspect fall face-first to the ground.
Apologies From Fox
Fox News veteran Smith, after the network abruptly cut to commercial, returned to the air with a lengthy apology for the fatal fiasco.
