As ever, the old maxim in journalism is: "You never want to become the story."
Of course, sometimes you just can't avoid it:
A man approached reporter Mike Suriani while he was on assignment and demanded his news vehicle, a white 2016 Toyota RAV4.
Suriani said he was at a gas pump and got out of the vehicle when a man wearing a mask approached from the sidewalk and shouted to give him the car keys. The man had his hand on a gun that was sticking out of his pocket.
Suriani handed over the keys and the man drove off southbound on Third Street.
Dude just waltzes up and steals the car without blinking:
Thankfully, Suriani was unhurt. The thief is reportedly still at large, though authorities released an image of the suspect after the incident.
Sounds like the area itself, meanwhile, is pretty dangerous:
According to the Memphis Police Data Hub, this was the first reported carjacking at that intersection within the past year.
However, if you expand just a quarter-mile radius, that number increases to eight.
Memphis allegedly ranks eighth among cities in the nation for car thefts.
Crazy.
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