Outrage Brews Over Reporters' Mob Beatings

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Outrage brews over reporters' mob beatings

Why was this vicious race attack not covered by the reporters’ newspaper?

This is a RUSH transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor," May 02, 2012. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

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BILL O'REILLY, HOST: And in the "Impact" segment tonight, very troubling racially charged crime in Virginia that may have had Trayvon Martin implications. In Norfolk, Dave Forster and Marjon Rostami, reporters for the "Virginia Pilot" newspaper were driving along when they were attacked by a mob of African-American men at a stoplight. Their vehicle was stoned. They were assaulted.

But the "Pilot" newspaper didn't report the crime for two weeks. And police have not charged anybody. Joining us now from Virginia Beach, Dave Parker, radio talk show host on WNIS. So do I have the story right, Mr. Parker?

DAVE PARKER, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Basically. And there are two aspects of this story you just covered them both, bill. One is the act itself, 100 people walking down a sidewalk about 30 of them broke off, attacked this -- this couple, both of whom, of course, work for the "Virginia Pilot". The woman was pulled by her hair, punched in the face. So there is that aspect of the story.

And then the other aspect that people are furious about and of course they are upset about the other aspect as well. But the one we've heard the most about is why in the world did our community not find out about this for two weeks and Bill, the way we found out about this was not on the front page. It was not above the fold where it should have been because this is a safety issue. This is a security issue in our community.

But instead of that the way we found out about it, was two weeks after the event, in an op-ed piece on a Tuesday. We can't find any explanation for that whatsoever.

O'REILLY: Well, here is what the paper says. The paper says number one the police filed this as a simple assault. Ok?

PARKER: Right, correct.

O'REILLY: So in the paper's eyes this doesn't warrant coverage, a simple assault. Number two, the paper says the reporters didn't want it reported, which shouldn't matter at all. I mean if you are a newspaper or a television organization; it's a story you report the story.

Here is why that doesn't wash and this is what I think happened. You have this mob that attacked them. That's dangerous and that's the story. Whenever you have a racially charged mob, that's a big story.

PARKER: Sure.

O'REILLY: It looks to me like the "Pilot" is politically correct and didn't want to get in the middle of the racial aspect. I don't know the "Pilot" but I believe it's a liberal paper, correct?

PARKER: They do tend to lean that way at times in their op-ed pieces.

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: Because they came after me when I reported on Virginia Beach's mayor, Sanctuary City and illegal aliens. The paper was pretty vicious toward me. Ok, so I said ok.

But anyway, here -- the 911 call made by the female reporter, Miss Rostami.

PARKER: Right.

O'REILLY: Harrowing. It's a harrowing call. And -- and not only that, but people in the neighborhood, people in the neighborhood, Mr. Parker went on television and said this -- roll the tape.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: By yourself for -- if you are not from around here or you don't know anybody around here, you're a target, automatically.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And then with all that Trayvon Martin stuff going on. There's a lot of dumb stuff is happening. And people reacting on different races for dumb stuff, you know. And so you know it could be related to that or it could be people just want to act stupid.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'REILLY: Now, tell me, you live there, is there a racial problem in the Tide Border area? I mean, you've got a -- is there a big racial problem there?

PARKER: Well, I think that since we're part of America, there is a racial problem here. And that's the big concern that -- that our listeners had today that if these racial roles were reversed that this would be a huge national story. That all of the individuals that were down in Sanford, Florida would have been here in Virginia Beach and Norfolk.

So you know that's certainly a concern. And the part that doesn't wash with the editor in the newspaper is that at 11:30 today he put out a statement saying well the police only said it was only simple assault. That doesn't wash at all as you said. Because he would have been the very first person you know with the details of the story are because he was taking on his very own employees.

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: Right and they had to take a week off. They couldn't come in because they were all beat up.

PARKER: That's right.

O'REILLY: And we asked Finley, we asked him to come in here.

PARKER: Right.

O'REILLY: He's hiding under his desk. Did you ask him to come on your radio program to explain what happened?

PARKER: Not yet, but I do, tomorrow, I do have Dave Forster, he is the individual who -- now at one point you know a rock was thrown at his car. He was there and both of them are white. He gets out, he admits that was a huge mistake.

O'REILLY: Yes.

PARKER: And it was at that point that things went downhill very, very rapidly. But I will have him on the air tomorrow. He does want me to convey to you that he didn't hear any racial slurs against him.

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: Well, look we'll get him on the FACTOR tomorrow night.

PARKER: Ok.

O'REILLY: I hope they'll come on. He can convey it to -- to the national and international audience himself. But the bottom line in here is this. It looks like this was a race deal. And that's what the witnesses say that if you're -- if you're in that neighborhood and they don't know you, you better watch your butt.

And number two, that the big newspaper that serves your community knew about it and covered it up. This is crazy. You can't have this stuff.

PARKER: And Bill, the key word you just used there was serve, part of that service to the community. Because of the resources and the trust that they have here is about safety. Now our community should have known about this two weeks ago. We just found out yesterday.

O'REILLY: Right. All right, we're going to continue reporting the story. Mr. Parker thanks so much for you time, we appreciate it.

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