Despite their visible press credentials and their feet being planted on the wrong side of the fence, a pair of journalists denied trespassing when confronted by security officers at Tesla Motors' Gigafactory in Nevada, the automaker reported.
The Reno Gazette-Journal (RGJ) also reported that one of its own, long-time photographers Andy Barron, had been arrested for his involvement in an altercation with one of the security guards.
Barron was charged with battery with a deadly weapon, stated Storey County Sheriff Gerald Antinoro. The deadly weapon appears to have been the getaway vehicle, property of the newspaper.
Barron either struck or almost hit several security officers as he fled the scene, according to the sheriff.
"They were stopped at that point in time and detained until my people got there and conducted an investigation that led to the arrest of whoever was driving the vehicle," said Antinoro.
Tesla reports that the Jeep, while backing up to flee, struck one of its employees who was trying to take down the vehicle's license plate number. Several other Tesla employees were injured by the fleeing Jeep, the automaker reported.
"As the RGJ employees fled the scene, their Jeep struck the ATV that carried the two safety managers," stated Tesla's report. "When one of the safety managers dismounted the ATV and approached the Jeep, the driver of the Jeep accelerated into him, striking him in the waist."
Before the altercation, Barron and a currently unnamed accomplice — believed to be working for the RGJ as well — scaled a fence that clearly stated that the area was private property, according to Tesla.
Last year, Tesla Motors finally brought a close to bids for a home for its new battery Gigafactory and selected Nevada as the winner. It has been billed as the largest and most high-tech battery production facility on the planet, so the Gigafactory has drawn the eyes of the world to itself.
"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," says Tesla. "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."
