Screenshot via TMZ
Today anchor Craig Melvin spoke out about a security breach where a man reportedly lunged at Melvin while hurling a racial slur at him.
“I’m doing great. I’m feeling great. Totally safe,” Melvin told a TMZ reporter on Friday.
TMZ first reported on the security breach at 30 Rock on Thursday. The suspect, identified now as 41-year-old Andrew Truelove, reportedly made his way past security at around 9 a.m. and was asking for Today’s Al Roker when he encountered Melvin. The man was quickly detained and arrested and Roker and Melvin were on air roughly 15 minutes later.
“There’s a lot of wacky out there so, you know…but totally safe. We got the best team in the business,” Melvin said on Friday.
Truelove was arraigned on Friday. He’s facing a charge of burglary in the third degree as a hate crime and a count of menacing in the third degree as a hate crime.
NBC News previously confirmed the incident and released a statement:
There was a security incident this morning at the TODAY show studio. An individual entered an unauthorized area in a vestibule near Studio 1A. The person approached anchor Craig Melvin, who alerted security. The individual was detained and taken into custody by law enforcement without further incident. There was no altercation, and no one was injured. TODAY is cooperating fully with law enforcement as they investigate the matter. NBC and TODAY take the safety and security of our employees, talent, staff and guests extremely seriously. We are reviewing the incident and our security protocols and remain committed to providing a safe and secure environment for everyone who works at and visits our studios.
During Friday’s Today broadcast, Melvin briefly addressed the incident where he said he was “safe and sound.”
“Thankfully, he was apprehended quickly. He was placed under arrest,” he said, adding he’s “very happy that everyone is safe.”
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