WNYT had a mug shot. Apparently WorldNetDaily.com called the station and misunderstood that there was a separate video of the actual arrest or perp walk. Net effect: the erroneous story kept people here up late last night assuming a video would be shown on the 11:00 o'clock news, and/or posted then at the website.
There is a video of the mug shot booking but no video of the actual arrest.
----------------------------------------------------- We have in our possession a tape of the mug shot taken of him at the time of his arrest and we have aired that. It's also on our web site. There is no tape of him being arrested at the Burger King. He was arrested while getting off the exit to the highway in Menands. We were not present for that arrest. We were informed of it when were at court.
Where did this misinformation start. I've gotten a couple of notes like this and wonder who is spreading this rumor. If we had tape of him being cuffed and stuffed in a car we'd air it.
Paul Conti
News Director, WNYT .
-----Original Message-----
From: xxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, January 21, 2003 10:25 AM
To: sbaboulis@wnyt.com
Cc: pconti@wnyt.com; edague@wnyt.com
Subject: Scott Ritter Arrest tape
I have been following your recent revelations that Scott Ritter was in fact arrested for meeting an undercover 14year old for the purposes of sexual contact. I also understand that you have in your posession a video of the actual arrest. This is very important news and it is your journalistic responsibility to release it to the public to let them make up their own minds as to how it relates to Mr. Ritter.