Runner Who Slapped Reporter’s Butt on Live TV Identified as Church Youth Group Leader
A number of citizen journalists have identified the man who affronted a female reporter last week during her live coverage of a race in Georgia.
New York Post reports Tommy Callaway, a church youth minister and Boy Scout leader, was the runner who slapped WSAV-TV’s Alex Bozarjian on the butt in the middle of her live shot. The Post reports that online sleuths were able to identify Callaway by his race number, plus he has reportedly taken down his social media accounts after being called out and banned from future races in Savannah.
Bozarjian’s story went viral after she called out Callaway on Twitter and said “To the man who smacked my butt on live TV this morning: You violated, objectified, and embarrassed me. No woman should EVER have to put up with this at work or anywhere!!”
To the man who smacked my butt on live TV this morning: You violated, objectified, and embarrassed me. No woman should EVER have to put up with this at work or anywhere!! Do better. https://t.co/PRLXkBY5hn
— Alex Bozarjian (@wsavalexb) December 7, 2019
Bozarjian filed a police report over the incident, and in an interview with CBS This Morning, she described the shock she felt and how the slap made her feel “extremely vulnerable.”
“He took my power, and I’m trying to take that back,” said Bozarjian. “I think what it really comes down to is that he helped himself to a part of my body.”
Callaway’s lawyer, Joseph Turner, has defended his client by telling the media he “did not act with any criminal intentions” and was “working with those involved to correct the situation.” Bozarjian said Callaway contacted WSAV-TV to say he didn’t intend to hurt her, but she responded to that by saying “I’m not going to really debate that because he hurt me.”
Watch above, via CBS.
