In a frightening moment Thursday morning, a man bypassed security at the “Today” show set at 30 Rockefeller Center and was arrested after he lunged at Craig Melvin and shouted the N-word at the co-anchor.
The incident happened at around 9 a.m. ET and was not captured on the “Today” broadcast. It was first reported by TMZ. Citing law enforcement sources, the outlet said the intruder was trying to locate longtime “Today” weatherman and personality Al Roker. When he couldn’t find Roker, the man confronted Melvin — lunging at him while yelling the N-word. The man was arrested and nobody was physically injured.
Melvin, on Friday morning’s “Today” broadcast, briefly addressed the incident to viewers. “You may have heard that unfortunately an intruder made his way into an unauthorized area here at Studio 1A,” he said. “Thankfully, he was apprehended quickly. He was placed under arrest. We are cooperating fully with the NYPD as they investigate the matter. And we are just very happy that everyone is safe.”
In a statement Thursday, NBC News confirmed “a security incident this morning” at the “Today” show studio and said that it is “cooperating fully with law enforcement as they investigate the matter.”
