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Videographer Kip Ebanks had his camera shoved by a passerby, jamming it into his face while he was filming a Newsmax report in Los Angeles, California, on July 30, 2026.

Newsmax correspondent Joe Moeller recounted the incident in a news segment, saying that he and a photographer went to the city’s Skid Row neighborhood to report on animal abuse and homelessness in the area.

“During a live shot, a homeless person actually walked up and smashed my photographer’s face with a camera,” Moeller said. A clip of the incident shows the photographer’s camera jostling, followed by a man’s hand appearing in the frame before he walks away.

Newsmax later confirmed the photographer was Ebanks. He did not return a request for comment for this story.


This content originally appeared on U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database and was authored by U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database.

Citations

[1]https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1MR16vGegw/[2] Joe Moeller on X: "Downtown LA for you. While reporting on animal abuse on Skid Row, a homeless man walked up and struck my photographer’s camera while it was against his face, smashing it during our live report." / X ➤ https://t.co/LvTAQ9nYtU[3] Joe Moeller on X: "Downtown LA for you. While reporting on animal abuse on Skid Row, a homeless man walked up and struck my photographer’s camera while it was against his face, smashing it during our live report." / X ➤ https://x.com/joemoeller44/status/2082999775717462142?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw