The owner of a Philly area auto repair shop has been charged with assaulting a Philly TV news crew.

Cops say that Peter Kathapoulis, owner of Modern Auto Crafters, hit WTXF Fox Philly News Photographer Dave Eizen with a tree branch night, and spit in the face of Reporter Chris O'Connell.

The incident happened last night as the crew was at the garage doing a story on pothole-damaged cars, and they had the car owner's permission to take a photo of a damaged vehicle, said Police Superintendent Michael J. Chitwood.

According to O'Connell's Facebook page, as the pair were "just out doing our job," Kathapolous tried to rip the camera from Eizen's hands and spit on O'Connell. A spokeswoman said Fox could not comment further (of course they couldn't because it is Fox).

Kathapoulis, who was released without bail and was back at the garage Wednesday, said Eizen was shooting photographs of other cars without owners' permissions. He also said that when he asked them to leave, Eizen and O'Connell uttered "racial remarks." The Fox spokeswoman said the allegation was "absolutely untrue."

Kathapoulis called the simple assault and harassment charges a "complete joke."

H/T Philly Inquirer