Man who attacked MSNBC reporter in Miss. nearly caused ‘environmental disaster’ in Ohio

GULFPORT, Miss. (WLBT) - An Ohio man who confronted a TV reporter in Gulfport, Mississippi on Monday morning has a criminal past.

According to a report from Cleveland.com, in August of 2017, Benjamin Dagley drilled holes into tanks of dangerous chemicals, including hydrochloric acid, sending one person to the hospital.

The crime took place at Cleveland Plating, a business Dagley once owned.

According to police, Dagley’s drilling holes into the tanks of sodium cyanide, hydrochloric acid, yellow chromate, ferrous chloride, and sulfuric acid risked a potential environmental disaster.

Employers told police that Dagley “knew what he was doing” when he released the chemicals into the air.

A 27-year-old security guard who discovered the leaks was taken to the hospital for potential cyanide poisoning.

Two months after the incident, Dagley was charged with misdemeanor assault after he once again broke into Cleveland Plating with two other accomplices.

Once inside, he allegedly yelled at a security guard, slammed a door into their knee and then punched them in the mouth.

Dagley is now on the run after attacking an MSNBC reporter covering Hurricane Ida live on the air.

He is charged with two counts of simple assault, one count of disturbing the peace and one count of violation of emergency curfew.