The New York Times sparked widespread anger for a published report on the marriage of Officer Darren Wilson to fellow Ferguson Police officer Barbara Spradling that included the couple’s new address and a picture of their new house.
The New York Times later removed the photo from the online version of the story, but kept up most of the address, including the street name of the home and a description of its locale as a “St. Louis suburb about a half-hour drive from Ferguson,” the Daily Mail reported.
Conservative commentator Sean Hannity used his Fox News broadcast to slam the newspaper, calling its publication of Officer Wilson’s whereabouts a slap in the face to privacy and an outright danger to his safety.
“If anything happens to that man, his family or that home, the culpability is with them,” Mr. Hannity said, referencing The New York Times’ story.
And one of his guests spoke similarly, saying: “If anything happens to them, the family should own The New York Times,” the Daily Mail reported.
Mr. Hannity said Officer Wilson could face reprisals from a community that’s been on edge for months and that exploded in violence shortly after the grand jury opted not to indict him for the Aug. 9 shooting death of teen Michael Brown.
A spokesman for The New York Times defended the paper’s decision.
“The story mentions only the name of the street where the couple have a house and that street has been widely reported on,” said Eileen Murphy, in an email response reported by the Daily Mail.
Officer Wilson has been on paid administrative leave from his police force since the Aug. 9 shooting.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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