A Rochester man who describes himself as an independent journalist was reportedly assaulted Tuesday night at a memorial gathering following Sunday’s mass shooting at Maplewood Park.
Geoffery Rogers, who covers news in Rochester for his own GSL News operation, acknowledged the attack in a post on the GSL News Facebook page. His condition was not known. Video online shows a large crowd gathered at Pulaski Park on North Street and both men and women beating up a man as they shouted at him.
Rochester police early Wednesday morning confirmed that a 22-year-old Rochester man was assaulted at the memorial gathering Tuesday evening at Pulaski Park, but did not confirm the identity of the injured man. The man, according to police, was taken to Rochester General Hospital by private vehicle following “an argument that quickly escalated into a large fight,” said Rochester Police Lt. Dave Williams. The injuries were not considered life-threatening.
The attack was initially reported as a stabbing, said Rochester Police Capt. Greg Bello, but no one was stabbed. The injured man was physically assaulted, he said.
Who is Geoffery Rogers?
Rogers is often one of the first to crime scenes within city limits. He also covers community events.
On his social media sites, Rogers shared numerous videos from Sunday’s mass shooting at Maplewood Park, where two women were fatally shot, and one of the videos sparked some anger toward him. That video included one of the victims, and Rogers did blur the woman’s image so she could not be identified.
On his Facebook page, Rogers defended the video and said he would not remove it. He said he blurred the footage because of the graphic content.
“GSL News understands some people may not agree with the video but this is the job of a news reporter,” he wrote. “TMZ and other platforms” don’t delete, he wrote.
“Our community is suffering from violence and people need to see what’s really happening.”
Rogers relies on his own videos and those provided by residents to him. He has been going to city crime scenes since he was 14; he then biked to the locations.
Rogers has also had brushes with police – as well as other community members – regarding how he gathers and reports information, and how he protects himself within city limits among other actions.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Geoffery Rogers attacked at memorial for mass shooting victims
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