A press conference on a Central California murder trial was halted for a half-hour after a television news reporter suffered a medical episode on Tuesday.
The incident happened around 4:30 p.m. when law enforcement officials were offering comments to the media after a jury convicted 45-year-old Paul Flores in connection with the disappearance and murder of 19-year-old Kristin Smart in 1996.
While San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow was delivering his remarks, a television journalist fainted in the background, drawing gasps from those in attendance and prompting officials to suspend the briefing.
Journalist faints at press conference on Kristin Smart murder verdict; officials say the reporter "lost consciousness" and was treated by medical professionals. The briefing resumed a half-hour later. pic.twitter.com/FNvIdbvrRs
— Matthew Keys (@MatthewKeysLive) October 19, 2022
According to a person familiar with the incident, the reporter works for a local television station in the San Francisco market, and appeared dizzy before losing consciousness.
The incident was broadcast live throughout Northern California, with around a dozen stations carrying the press conference across three television markets.
In Sacramento, anchors at television stations KCRA-TV (Channel 3, NBC) and KOVR (Channel 13, CBS) were quick to pull away from the press briefing, explaining to their audiences that a medical episode had apparently transpired. KOVR reporter Madison Keavy later confirmed that a journalist had fainted in the crowd and received medical help a short time later.
Officials resumed their briefing around 5 p.m. local time, with the remainder of the press conference streamed on the Facebook page of the local district attorney.
