- Reporters involved in terrifying incidents in the US
- A journalist threatened by a man with a knife
- It comes after top cop warning to NRL players
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Two shocking late-night incidents have left journalists fearing for their safety as they cover the run-up to the NRL double-header in Las Vegas on Sunday.
A football reporter was bailed out by a knife-wielding man while working late into the night in the coastal Los Angeles suburb of Santa Monica as the Roosters and Broncos were based in the city before flying to Las Vegas.
The man accused the journalist of damaging his car but left when the Australian denied the accusation. news corporation reported.
“We were not fully aware of the dangers of working at night in this country,” the journalist, who preferred to remain anonymous, told the publication.
Football stars such as Souths hooker Damien Cook (pictured) have been warned they could be targeted by criminals in the United States, but so far it is journalists who have gotten into trouble.
Las Vegas police (pictured responding to a shooting in the city) warned stars about drugs and extortion.
‘We were just naive… This is a big city, but it’s a dangerous city after dark if you turn off the bright lights in isolated areas.
“I’m relieved that we got out safely.”
In the other incident, a reporter and his television crew feared for their lives when they were surrounded by three cars during a night job in Westlake Village, a short distance north of Los Angeles.
They were filming their report when vehicles converged on them from different directions and cornered them.
The team managed to finish their report, and the journalist believed that one of his colleagues saved them when he made a phone call and possibly made the people in the cars believe that he was contacting the police.
“It was the most terrifying experience of my life,” the journalist said.
‘It was the first time in my life that I thought I was going to die.
“The honest feeling was that they were either going to rob us or kill us. He was really worried about not surviving.”
Safety has been a major concern for Rabbitohs, Sea Eagles, Roosters and Broncos stars during their time in the United States.
A journalist feared for his life and that of his colleagues when they were cornered by three cars while reporting near the Broncos team hotel when the team was based just north of Los Angeles (pictured, Brisbane stars Pat Carrigan and Andrew Reynolds in Los Angeles).
While most of the security concerns have revolved around the players’ time in Las Vegas, the two incidents involving journalists occurred in California.
Last week, one of Las Vegas’ top police officers, Lt. Kendall Bell, warned gamblers about the dangers of using illicit drugs in the city.
He told them that illegal substances can be combined with the deadly drug fentanyl, a powerful synthetic drug used for severe pain and known to be 50 to 100 times more potent than heroin.
Misuse of the substance, whether through improper prescription use or illegal distribution, poses a significant risk of overdose and respiratory distress, leading to deaths.
Players were also warned about possible extortion attempts in Sin City, with victims attacked after alcohol and drug use, or sexual encounters.
The footballers were asked to avoid bringing women to their rooms and to be vigilant when drinking.
The four clubs that will play in the double header have been assigned 10 security guards each in an effort to ensure that they do not run into problems.