Shareblue Writer Found Guilty of Disorderly Conduct for Fighting With Police

A reporter with a liberal media outlet was found guilty of misdemeanor disorderly conduct Tuesday over an October confrontation with police as he was attempting to cover then-Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillepsie.

Shareblue Media’s Mike Stark claimed Fairfax County police officers mishandled the incident, part of which was captured on video and shows him being taken to the ground before his arrest. A Fairfax County General District Court judge imposed a $500 fine on Stark. A second misdemeanor charge for fleeing police was dismissed.

Judge Mark Simmons told Stark that officers had given him lots of breaks during the incident, that he “went from being a reporter to an actor” and had actually sought the confrontation.

Stark said he was disappointed with the outcome and was weighing what to do next.

“I took it to trial believing I had the law on my side,” he said. “So I’m surprised at the outcome.”