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News crew robbed at gunpoint while filming live

A KTVU news crew that was reporting on a homicide were robbed at gunpoint.

What happens when those who cover the news become the news?

A KTVU news crew that was reporting on a homicide at San Francisco’s Pier 14 were confronted by that scenario yesterday.

At 6:03 a.m. PST, robbers held the news crew at gunpoint, stole camera equipment and even pistol-whipped the camera operator. All this took place during a live ‘hit’.

In the studio, KTVU anchor Brian Flores preparing to go live to reporter Cara Liu, as usual, when suddenly she appeared startled and said, “Hold on, hold on, wait,” before disappearing off screen, SFGate reports.

Her colleagues Kris Sanchez and camera operator Alan Waples were being robbed at gunpoint.

As Waples was adjusting Sanchez’s lighting, one of the three men who took part in the attack, came up behind him and put a gun to his head.

“Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot!” Sanchez pleaded.

Waples, who recalled later that he was waiting to “hear a click” from the gun, tried to reason with the robbers by telling them to “take the camera!”

The man then threw him to the ground and pistol-whipped him in the ear, causing a large gash.

All of this unfolded as KTVU was live, although the incident was inaudible.

“Cara, you still there?” Flores asked.

“Sorry, there’s an incident out here,” she replied.

“What’s going on out there, Cara, doing okay?” he asked back.

When she didn’t respond, Flores told viewers that it “looks like there’s some type of incident going on with Cara Liu out there. Not exactly sure what’s going on.”

“Let’s try to get more information on what’s going on with Cara… hopefully she’s doing okay, first off.”

The robbers stole the crew’s camera and tripod and struggled to get them into a black BMW, she said afterward, before hitting Waples one more time and telling Sanchez to get on the ground. The attackers fled shortly after.

“There’s no time for anything to go through your mind,” Waples said, recalling the event. “When he was gone, it was a relief.”

This is the latest incident in which news crews were accosted by robbers in the Bay Area. Since, many news stations have been hiring security guards to accompany crews, particularly for stories in Oakland.