Arrest Warrant Issued For Benjamin Dagley Who Disrupted MSNBC During Hurricane Ida Broadcast

Mississippi police have issued an arrest warrant for the man who interrupted and attacked MSNBC reporter Shaquille Brewster during live Hurricane Ida coverage.

The suspect’s name is Benjamin Eugene Dagley. On August 31, authorities issued the warrant for two counts for Dagley: one count for disturbing the peace and another for violating an emergency curfew. 

The incident happened on August 30, during an MSNBC’s live coverage of Ida’s impact on Gulfport Beach. Brewster was describing what he was experiencing when a white pickup truck appeared and parked a few hundred feet from the news crew. Dagley then got out of his car and made his way to Brewster, upset and yelling, “Cover this accurately.”

Brewster attempted to distance himself from the man and motioned to his cameraman to turn with him. “I’m gonna turn this way,” the reporter said. “We deal with some people every once in a while,” and went back to his coverage of the storm. Dagley continued to be disruptive and as Brewster cut his report short, Dagley became aggressive with Brewster. The broadcast ended there and returned to the host in the newsroom. 

Brewster went on Twitter later that day and reassured people he and his team were “all good.”

Dagley has previous charges against him in his home state of Ohio and may have violated his probation for a previous offense in Cuyahoga county. Documents showed he pleaded guilty to vandalism, inducing panic, and attempted assault. He was sentenced to five years prohibition and 30 days in jail along with fines up to $1000. Dagley was also previously arrested on suspicion of drilling holes into tanks of dangerous chemicals.

Dagley hasn’t been taken into custody and Mississippi police are urging the public to contact their local police if they have sighted him or have any information on his location.