Sean Bergin a reporter for News12, which is a “cable-exclusive service” for the New York metropolitan area, was suspended for what he said while reporting the death of rookie Jersey City police officer Melvin Santiago.
Santiago was shot in ambush in Jersey City by area-resident Lawrence Campbell who apparently was motivated “to be famous”.
He was 23.
Campbell acquired the murder weapon by assaulting a security guard at the Walgreens drug store where the shooting occurred.
Campbell was subsequently shot by police leaving behind a wife, Angelique, and at least one child, a six-year-old girl.
Mrs. Campbell did not express much regret for her husband’s passing. She did say that she wished he had murdered more human beings serving as police officers before his date with judgement.
Campbell’s friends set up a small shrine at the store featuring candles, balloons, a bottle of cheap liquor (empty), and gang paraphernalia urging the late citizen to “Thug in Peace”.
It was too much for Bergin. He said this:
“It is worth noting that we were besieged, flooded with calls from police officers furious that we would give media coverage to the wife of a cop killer. We decided to air it because it is important to shine a light on the anti-cop mentality that has so contaminated America’s inner cities. This same, sick, perverse line of thinking is evident from Jersey City to Newark and Patterson to Trenton. It has made the police officer’s job impossible and it has got to stop.
“The underlying cause for all of this, of course: Young black men growing up without fathers. Unfortunately, no one in the news media has the courage to touch that subject.”
His employers were displeased and suspended him.
We say God bless Sean Bergin for speaking truth to power.
Here is the report itself:
Sean Bergin Speaks Truth, Gets Suspended
