North Dakota TV reporter spat on, dodges punch ahead of live shot

Tatum Miller, a multimedia reporter for KVLY-TV, was charged at and spat on by a woman as Miller was preparing for an interview in downtown Fargo, North Dakota, early on Oct. 4, 2024, the station reported.

Miller told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker that she and her photographer, Morgan Drake, were covering a downtown market that takes place nearly every week. While setting up shortly before 5:30 a.m. for a live interview with a pair of vendors, a woman began screaming at them.

“She started out just yelling across the street,” Miller said. “And then I turn and look and instead of being across the street, down a block, she’s now running at me. She gets up about two inches from my face and tries to throw a punch; I lean back and she doesn’t make contact with me.”

Miller said the woman then threw a handful of leaves in her face, spat on her hair and coat and ran down the street.

Police arrived at the scene within minutes, Miller said, and she asked that they stay nearby while she conducted the interview to ensure that nothing would happen while they were on-air. After the interview, police found the woman — who they said was under the influence of methamphetamines — and spoke with her.

The station reported that the woman was not detained, and officers instructed her to leave the news crew alone.

Under North Dakota law, spitting on someone can be prosecuted as an assault, but Miller told the Tracker she is still undecided on how to proceed.

“My company does want to prosecute to the fullest extent,” Miller said. “They’re leaving it up to me personally, and I’m kind of going through more of her background first.”