Posted on 07/04/2003 2:22:27 PM PDT by Dont Mention the War
Termination follows anchorman's arrest in DUI-related case
Brad McElhinny <bradmc@dailymail.com>
Daily Mail staff
Friday July 04, 2003; 10:30 AM
Television anchorman Tom McGee has been fired from his job at WCHS and WVAH Fox 11 after a drunken driving arrest, sources said.
Station manager Terry Cole said he could not confirm the firing.
"I can't comment on personnel matters," Cole said Thursday evening.
The two Charleston-area television stations already have taken pictures and references to McGee from their Web sites. The anchorman's position is expected to be posted early next week, sources from the station said.
Last week, McGee was arrested on charges of fleeing while driving drunk after a Charleston police officer said he tried to drive the wrong way up 35th Street, evaded the officer, lost control of his SUV, went airborne and crashed into a cinderblock wall.
This marks the second time the 56-year-old South Hills resident has been fired from WCHS and his third time overall to be fired from a television station in the Charleston market.
He was hired by WCHS earlier this year after spending two years off the air. He and his former employer, WOWK, filed lawsuits against each other, and contractual obligations kept McGee from appearing on another station for those two years.
He was first fired by WCHS in 1993.
The latest incident is the third time McGee has been arrested for drunk driving related charges since 1991. He was acquitted of one of his earlier two charges.
Immediately after the drunken driving arrest last Thursday, station officials said McGee had been suspended. He apparently was fired late this week.
The latest incident happened when McGee drove his 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer the wrong way onto 35th Street in Kanawha City at 2 a.m. and then crashed the vehicle while trying to evade an officer, according to the police report.
Cpl. C.A. Dickinson wrote that McGee failed three field three sobriety tests and that his blood alcohol content was measured at 0.106 during a breath-alcohol test. A blood alcohol content of 0.10 is the threshold for being considered legally drunk in West Virginia.
McGee has been arrested twice before on drunken driving charges. But in one of those instances, a jury found him not guilty.
In 1991, he was arrested and charged with drunken driving after driving to Taco Bell at 2 a.m. with a flat tire. Police alleged he smelled of alcohol and performed poorly on field sobriety tests and said he refused to take a breath-alcohol test.
McGee admitted to drinking two beers and part of a third at a bar after finishing the 11 p.m. broadcast for WCHS. He said he drove to the Taco Bell restaurant in the 3700 block of MacCorkle Avenue around 2 a.m., but on the way his 1988 BMW got a flat tire.
He continued driving to Taco Bell with the flat so he could get food and get help fixing the leaking tire, McGee testified.
He said he passed the field tests the officers gave and refused to take the breath-alcohol test because he thought the officers were framing him. A jury ultimately found McGee not guilty of that offense.
In 1997, McGee admitted to a DUI charge, served 24 hours in jail and told viewers about his lockup experience.
After that arrest, McGee said, "I never really thought of having a drinking problem. But this is an eye-opener. This was stupid, very stupid. This is not an ordinary thing for me, but maybe there is a problem I haven't addressed.
"Some experts have told me I have to take a look at this drinking thing, and I'm going to do that. I'm going to be taking some baby steps. I'm going to consult with some experts and see what they say. Maybe there is a demon there that I don't know about and don't realize. But I'm going to find out."
Writer Brad McElhinny can be reached at 304-348-4872.
One other funny tidbit this article doesn't mention: That cinderblock wall he demolished was on the property of a reporter for one of Charleston's two newspapers. Oops.
Those lawsuits with WOWK weren't about mere "contractual obligations," either.
That sort of thing tends to attract the attention of law enforcement.
Nice driving, Einstein.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. This site:
The latest incident happened when McGee drove his 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer the wrong way onto 35th Street in Kanawha City at 2 a.m. and then crashed the vehicle while trying to evade an officer, according to the police report.and this site...
In 1991, he was arrested and charged with drunken driving after driving to Taco Bell at 2 a.m. with a flat tire....are one and the same. Thirty-fifth Street in Kanawha City is where the Taco Bell is! He got arrested in the same place both times, 12 years apart!
If at first you don't succeed ...
The man (this is the best I can give you, as his existence has already been completely wiped off the web sites of the stations he was working for ... you know how the news media is about truth):
The mug shot:
The Kanawha County Magistrate Court closed-circuit TV hearing. Note McGee is NOT anchoring, and instead our friend in the sunglasses maintains complete control.
Thanks for that. Sad story but that line brought back memories of 30 of the funniest minutes ever to be on television
McGee seems to have a Bill Clinton-like following of little old ladies who think he simply can't do any wrong in that town and I fully expect a groundswell campaign from those daffy blue-hairs to get him reinstated to the TV News team AGAIN.
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