After Controversy, Reporter Deletes His Facebook

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Last week, FTVLive told you that KPNX in Phoenix did a story about the "Memorial to Arizona Confederate Troops," being vandalized.

According to the Phoenix New Times KPNX Reporter Bryan West reported on the morning news, and also in a live video on his Facebook site, that when he and a cameraman arrived, he saw a man on a bicycle leaving the scene.

"We showed up to this monument originally doing a story about the controversy, and taking these down, we've seen it happen all across the nation," West reported that morning. "And this is what we found. We found that this monument has been vandalized. Actually, when we showed up, there was a man that was on a bicycle that took off from the scene. That's why we were talking with police just a couple moments ago."

But, surveillance video obtained by the Phoenix New Times show that West could have, or should have, seen much more than he reported.

The video shows the KPNX news van's headlights were pointed at the memorial before, during, and after the incident, illuminating it as the suspect spray-painted the monument.

Since the story in the New Times, KPNX removed the video from its August 17 story about the vandalism from the station's website and then after a New Times follow up story, they put it back.

It also appears that West has deleted his Facebook account.

The station has also revised their online story, that now begins by stating, "As our 12 News crew was preparing a live report from the State Capitol, a person vandalized a nearby Confederate monument." 

Dean Ditmer, the station's general manager and president, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

 H/T New Times