MSNBC’s Jo Ling Kent hit by police flash bang grenade during George Floyd protests

MSNBC’s Jo Ling Kent issued an all-clear alert after she was hit by a flash bang grenade during a live broadcast Monday evening.

Kent was covering the protests in the Seattle neighborhood of Capitol Hill, which were sparked nationwide by the death of George Floyd, whose neck was kneeled on a White police officer for over 8 minutes, allegedly causing his death on May 25.

The video shows Kent, with a gas mask and holding a microphone, being struck by the flash bang grenade from an officer. She issues a few expletives and runs down the baseball diamond with her crew.

Kent attempted to continue her reporting, but the situation escalated, with MSNBC host Brian Williams cutting away from the action.

“Maybe the best thing to do here is for Jo Ling and her crew to be sure about their safety, and we can surmise the rest from her reporting,” Williams suggested.

Kent later posted an update on Twitter, saying, “Thankfully, our whole team is OK and safe. I’m totally fine – my jacket sleeve got singed and that’s it.”

NBC initially reported that the object was a firework, but concluded upon reviewing footage that it was a flash bang.

The network reached out to the Seattle Police Department, but so far hasn’t heard a response, according to The New York Post.

Kent isn’t the only reporter to have been harmed by police while covering the nationwide protests, one instance which the Australian prime minister demanded be investigated. Unlike other instances, this appears to have been an accident.

Kent is a business and tech correspondent at NBC News since 2016, and was a former investigative reporter for NBC Connecticut and a correspondent on the Fox Business News Network.

AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. We’re an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. Check out our new Instagram account. Go to our  Twitter feed and Facebook page for more content. Please consider interning, joining our staff, or submitting a story.