A KING 5 News photographer covering the May Day march in downtown Seattle on Tuesday was assaulted by one of the marchers and ended up with a bloody cheek.
Richard Departee was covering the march as the participants made their way through downtown.
“I found myself in with a group (dressed in) black, kinda Gestapo-looking thugs – face masks and dark glasses – I think as soon as they saw me it was like ‘Hey get out of here, you know, scum,’ and started pushing me,” he said.
Departee said he backed off and then three or four of the people turned around and surrounded him and shoved him back.
“Then one guy took his one-inch dowel, a wooden pole with the red flag … he just took it back and popped me in the face,” said Departee.
He said he dropped his camera but then later decided to take pictures because there were about 20 people.
“The same thing happened,” said Departee. “They came swinging their poles again at me and that time I bolted.”
Departee has worked at KING TV for more than 30 years.
