Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Journalist faces assault charges after incident at Tesla plant near Reno

Tesla

Scott Sonner / AP

Framing of Tesla Motors’ new factory under construction is visible June 14, 2015, behind a security gate on Electric Avenue at Tahoe Reno Industrial Center about 15 miles east of Sparks along U.S. Interstate 80.

Tesla says two Reno journalists trespassed at its battery-manufacturing property late last week before striking two security guards with a Jeep belonging to the Reno Gazette-Journal.

The Sheriff’s Department arrested Gazette-Journal photographer Andy Barron on two counts of felony assault with a deadly weapon. Tesla said Tuesday in a news release that Barron and the other journalist, who hasn't been identified, will be charged with trespassing.

The district attorney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the charges.

Just before noon Friday, the journalists climbed through a fence marked “private property” at the plant but denied they were trespassing, Tesla said.

A factory security guard requested that the journalists wait to leave the property until the Storey County Sheriff’s Department arrived at the scene, the company said. Instead, the Gazette-Journal employees got in their Jeep. While the Tesla security guard was recording the license plate number, the driver accelerated into reverse, striking the Tesla employee. Tesla said the car hit the employee in the hip and left him with deep cuts on his arm.

As the journalists left the Tesla Gigafactory site, the Jeep also hit an ATV carrying two security guards, Tesla said. When one of the guards then approached the Jeep, the vehicle hit him in the waist.

The Jeep, which belongs to the newspaper, was damaged in the incident, according to a Gazette-Journal story. The newspaper said the driver’s window was shattered by a rock and the driver’s seat belt was sliced in half.

The Gazette-Journal's publisher, John Maher, said Friday that his company is investigating the situation and takes it seriously.

Tesla’s $5 billion large-scale factory could start production as early as next year.

“We appreciate the interest in the gigafactory, but the repeated acts of trespassing, including by those working for the RGJ, is illegal, dangerous and needs to stop,” Tesla's statement said. "In particular, we will not stand for assaults on our employees and are working with law enforcement to investigate this incident and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.”

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