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| Fox News carries live video of man shooting himself after car chase | Fox News carries live video of man shooting himself after car chase |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Fox News was forced to apologise on Friday after showing a man shooting himself in the head on live television. | Fox News was forced to apologise on Friday after showing a man shooting himself in the head on live television. |
| The network was broadcasting a car chase – a staple of cable news – when at about 3.30pm the suspect dumped the car, stumbled down a track, put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. | The network was broadcasting a car chase – a staple of cable news – when at about 3.30pm the suspect dumped the car, stumbled down a track, put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. |
| Fox News was streaming helicopter footage, with a voiceover commentary from host Shepard Smith, as it pulled off a road and onto a dirt track in Arizona. | Fox News was streaming helicopter footage, with a voiceover commentary from host Shepard Smith, as it pulled off a road and onto a dirt track in Arizona. |
| The vehicle stopped, and a man was seen to get out. He appeared agitated, and looked to be reaching inside the car, but then set off running away from the vehicle, looking over his shoulder. | The vehicle stopped, and a man was seen to get out. He appeared agitated, and looked to be reaching inside the car, but then set off running away from the vehicle, looking over his shoulder. |
| Fox News's live coverage continued as he stopped running, raised what appeared to be a gun to his head, and fell to the ground. | Fox News's live coverage continued as he stopped running, raised what appeared to be a gun to his head, and fell to the ground. |
| The channel went back to the studio, where Smith was seen looking off camera and shouting: "Get off it, get off it." The network swiftly cut to a commercial break. | The channel went back to the studio, where Smith was seen looking off camera and shouting: "Get off it, get off it." The network swiftly cut to a commercial break. |
| When Smith returned, he apologised for the graphic coverage, saying that the channel had been carrying the chase on a delay to avoid such an incident, but made a mistake in broadcasting it anyway. | When Smith returned, he apologised for the graphic coverage, saying that the channel had been carrying the chase on a delay to avoid such an incident, but made a mistake in broadcasting it anyway. |
| "While we were taking that car chase and showing it to you live, when the guy pulled over and got out of the vehicle, we went on delay," Smith said. | "While we were taking that car chase and showing it to you live, when the guy pulled over and got out of the vehicle, we went on delay," Smith said. |
| "We created a five-second delay so that we would see in the studio what was happening five [seconds] before you did, so if anything went horribly wrong we were able to cut away from it, " he said. | "We created a five-second delay so that we would see in the studio what was happening five [seconds] before you did, so if anything went horribly wrong we were able to cut away from it, " he said. |
| "We really messed up, and we're all very sorry. That didn't belong on television. We took every precaution ... I personally apologise to you that that happened," Shepherd continued. | "We really messed up, and we're all very sorry. That didn't belong on television. We took every precaution ... I personally apologise to you that that happened," Shepherd continued. |
| "It's not time appropriate, it's not sensitive: it's just wrong," he said. "That won't happen again on my watch, and I'm terribly sorry," Smith said. | "It's not time appropriate, it's not sensitive: it's just wrong," he said. "That won't happen again on my watch, and I'm terribly sorry," Smith said. |
| The car had earlier been chased by police, but officers were not following the vehicle at the time the man abandoned it. | The car had earlier been chased by police, but officers were not following the vehicle at the time the man abandoned it. |
| After Fox News apologised for its error, the Buzzfeed website posted a clip of the incident on its website. It offered users an edited version without the apparent suicide, and an unedited version. | After Fox News apologised for its error, the Buzzfeed website posted a clip of the incident on its website. It offered users an edited version without the apparent suicide, and an unedited version. |
| The Guardian has asked Fox News and Buzzfeed for a comment. | |
| • In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be contacted toll-free on 1-800-273-TALK or at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org. | |
| • In the UK the Samaritans can be contacted on 08457 909090 or at www.samaritans.org.uk. |