US reporter criticised for 'snitching' on flooding victims who were 'looting'

ABC news' chief national correspondent was the target of a backlash on Tuesday after he notified police about "looting" in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in Houston.

Tom Llamas been following the hurricane and providing ongoing coverage for the broadcaster.

He tweeted a photo of a scene which showed people obtaining supplies.

The text of his tweet read:

We informed police of the looting and Coast Guard is flying overhead. Multiple officers now on the scene.

Users were less than receptive to tweet:

Llamas later attempted to clarify his tweet:

Llamas, it seems, didn't report a crime with the police by phoning them through traditional methods, he merely mentioned it to officers with whom he was already interacting as part of his job.

Some remained unconvinced:

Many reporters have refused to aid law enforcement officers in a similar capacity on the basis their duty is to report news, not to assist police. People also have debated whether taking supplies in the midst of a disaster such as a hurricane is definitively "looting".

HT Yahoo

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