A few weeks ago, a journalist at Denver’s 9News told his Twitter followers that, contrary to “talk radio fear-mongering,” Denver’s actually a pretty great place to hang out because there definitely aren’t any violent riots there or anything.
Shame to think there are people cowering in the suburbs, cleaning their guns, peeking through the blinds wondering if every person of color outside is Antifa. If you’re afraid to come into Denver because of talk radio fear-mongering, you’re missing out on a lot. https://t.co/wEJJ7dFBSO
— Kyle Clark (@KyleClark) September 27, 2020
So go ahead and clean that gun (safety first), pull up your blinds (your houseplants will thank you), and go on living life – inside and outside the city. It’ll be OK.
— Kyle Clark (@KyleClark) September 27, 2020
Well, in case you — or Kyle Clark — missed it, over the weekend, 30-year-old Matthew Doloff shot and killed a Trump supporter at a protest in Denver:
Dolloff was arrested moments after a single gunshot rang out on the plaza between the Denver Art Museum and the city’s main library. He was on Sunday being held without bail on suspicion of first-degree murder following the shooting that left one man dead.
But it’s OK, because Doloff was a security guard, so he was just doing his job.
Except not really:
Records show the man being held for investigation in the deadly shooting near dueling demonstrators in Denver on Saturday was working as a security guard but was not properly licensed. https://t.co/tXF6IoQny8
— 9NEWS Denver (@9NEWS) October 12, 2020
More from 9News:
Matthew Dolloff, 30, was contracted through the company Pinkerton by 9NEWS. It has been the practice of 9NEWS for a number of months to contract private security to accompany staff at protests.
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Pinkerton, however, said it does not actually employ Dolloff – Pinkerton did not share the name of the company for which Dolloff worked.
…
According to Eric Escudero, marketing and communications manager for the city’s Department of Excise and Licenses, “there is no record” that Dolloff had a license required by the city to work as a security guard – and no evidence he’d had one in the past.
Oh dear.
NEW: Denver Dept of Excise and Licenses confirms “there is no record for an active licensed security guard now or ever for an individual named Matthew Doloff or Dolloff. If he was operating as a security guard, he was in violation of the law”. More tonight on @CBSDenver at 10p pic.twitter.com/mFAYXZ1er5
— Andrea Flores (@AndreaFloresTV) October 11, 2020
This seems problematic, no?
Where are we on this story? ?? https://t.co/KNzetQy5j9
— Mickey White (@BiasedGirl) October 12, 2020
This does seem like a big deal, no?
Burying the lede, @9NEWS hired said killer. https://t.co/17lcqopyur
— アーケットシスターズ (@ArquetteSisters) October 12, 2020
This Denver Channel 9 news anchor mocked viewers who were concerned about Denver's riots and accused critics of the violent Antifa movement of racism, without evidence. Channel 9 hired the "security guard" being held for a shooting death in Denver yesterday. https://t.co/5J4Xe5dg1k
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) October 12, 2020
If that guy *was* hired by Channel 9 as “security” without a proper background check or license… and the guy turns out to be a left wing activist who just shot a Trump supporter in Cold Blood…..
That feels like a really important story to tell.
— Mickey White (@BiasedGirl) October 12, 2020
One would think, yes.
Pinkerton just disavowed the Denver shooter, saying they never employed him. This contradicts 9News' own statement that they hired him through Pinkerton.
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) October 12, 2020
Yikes.
Lawyer up, 9News. https://t.co/IGOQ7pAwHs
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) October 12, 2020
9News should be sued into oblivion for this. https://t.co/jhqd332xXV
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) October 12, 2020
They should definitely face consequences.
This keeps getting worse for @9news.
Has @willsommer tweeted anything else about disinformation (RTed by @brianstelter)?
They repeated 9News' original claims as fact, but the media has seemed pretty disinterested since then. https://t.co/ITkRMOfXlA
— The Partyman (@PartymanRandy) October 12, 2020
Here’s what Brian Stelter tweeted yesterday:
Regarding tonight's shooting at dueling protests in Denver:
"A private security guard who was hired by 9NEWS is the suspect detained by DPD. It has been the practice of 9NEWS for a number of months to hire private security to accompany staff at protests." https://t.co/ouHMfHaY88
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) October 11, 2020
Here's how disinformation spreads. Someone is shot at a rally in Denver, various right-wing personalities instantly claim antifa did it and rack up thousands of RTs. The police say the suspect wasn't connected to antifa, but that gets a fraction of the attention. pic.twitter.com/nssAwh17dw
— Will Sommer (@willsommer) October 11, 2020
How much attention has Brian Stelter given the fact that 9News hired a guy to do security who wasn’t licensed to do security? After one of their journalists mocked people for being concerned about violence in Denver?
Seems to me a news station claiming they hired a security guard with far left views, through a security company, which says he didn’t work for & wasn’t licensed for security work or carry a firearm which he discharged resulting in a death seems newslettery worthy @brianstelter…
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) October 12, 2020
One would think … but alas.
If only it fit The Media’s preferred narrative.
— Mickey White (@BiasedGirl) October 12, 2020
If only.