Enraged Man Who Destroyed a Photographer's Camera Now Faces Significant Jail Time
On May 1st of this year, a news photographer in Illinois was filming video of an empty parking lot for a story about empty stores for the local news.
Much to his surprise, the photographer, who is employed by News 8, was approached by a man who was enraged that he might have been filmed while driving on a nearby street.
The man, whose encounter with the photographer was caught on film, assaulted the photographer. He began by taking the photographer's hat and then turned his ire to the photographer's very expensive broadcast camera, throwing it to the ground and completely destroying it.
Fortunately, police were able to use the video of the incident to identify the assailant, 45-year-old Brett R. Laermans.
Now that he's been arrested and charged with multiple crimes, Laermans faces stiff penalties.
Battery, which is a Class A misdemeanor in Illinois, is punishable by one year in county jail and/or a fine of up to $2,500. Criminal Damage to Property more than $10,000 is a Class 3 felony and is punishable by 2-5 years in prison and a fine not to exceed $25,000.
While Laermans is innocent until proven guilty, it's hard to imagine avoiding jail, monetary fines, or both with this video evidence.
Via PetaPixel