CNN's April Ryan Finally Speaks On New Brunswick Reporter Attack

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — CNN media personality April Ryan said she has fired the bodyguard that attacked a New Brunswick journalist earlier this month, and that she never ordered him to attack the reporter, Charlie Kratovil, the editor of New Brunswick Today.

Ryan also said that Kratovil never directly asked her or her team if he could videotape or record her speech.

"I want to say this: This is not about suppressing the press. I did not order anyone to do anything," Ryan said when she spoke on CNN over the weekend. This was the first time she spoke publicly about the incident. "At that moment, what you saw was my then-bodyguard, who was concerned with my safety, come to me and say 'Stop talking.' They were about 100 feet away from me. I didn't know what was going on or what was being said (between her bodyguard and Kratovil)."

"Why not have cameras at your speeches? What the problem with having a person videotape your speech?" asked CNN's Brian Stelter.

"This was a private event for a non-profit in New Brunswick," Ryan replied. "Our contract stated that if someone wanted to come and film or interview me, they had to ask for permission. There was no request for permission, and permission was not granted. If they had asked for permission, it would have been granted. The reason why I do this is because one, it's standard in the industry and two, I don't want my words twisted."

As Patch reported last week, the incident happened Aug. 3 at the Heldrich Hotel in downtown New Brunswick: Ryan was in town for the New Jersey Parent Summit, and she was a featured speaker. The bodyguard is Joel Morris, 30.

Kratovil said he was invited to the hotel by Mercury Public Relations firm to cover the summit as a journalist; he sent Patch copies of the invitation, which freely invited all media to come and cover the event. Ryan was highlighted as a keynote speaker. Also, Kratovil had been filming for the past two hours that Sunday without any incident.

"As soon as I got there on Sunday I asked where I could set up my camera ... I recorded about 50 minutes of footage prior to Mr. Morris harassing me," Kratovil said. "Many others (in the audience) took videos on their phones, including TapInto's Chuck O'Donnell."

However, Ryan apparently took issue with Kratovil filming her with his noticeable tripod digital camera. Before Ryan begins her speech, her bodyguard, Morris, comes up to her and whispers something. She nods her head.

An awkward silence follows and then you can hear Kratovil saying, "Don't touch me! Don't touch my camera!"

"What I will say, when I speak, I don't have news covering my speeches," Ryan told the crowd apologetically as her bodyguard scuffled with Kratovil.

"Don't you dare, put that down, sir! That's my camera!" Kratovil can then be heard yelling.

The bodyguard then physically grabbed Kratovil, took his video camera and forcibly ejected from from the room, according to a New Brunswick police report of the incident, which you can see below.

The complaint alleges Morris "chased Kratovil, grabbed him by the left arm and twisted his arm behind his back, causing injury to his forearm and shoulder."

Morris, the bodyguard, has been criminally charged with assault, theft and harassment for the incident. He lives in Illinois, is due back in New Brunswick municipal court Sept. 12 for the theft, a third-degree indictable charge that he must appear in court for.

A call by Patch to Morris has not been returned.

Watch the two videos of the entire incident below: The first shows Kratovil being approached by her bodyguard, and the second shows her bodyguard physically dragging him out of the lobby of the Heldrich Hotel.

Related: CNN's April Ryan Remains Silent In NJ Bodyguard Assault Charge