Craig Melvin, the “Today” anchor, chased away a man who had sneaked past security at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, where NBC is headquartered, on Thursday and managed to approach Mr. Melvin near the show’s Studio 1A, the New York Police Department said.
Mr. Melvin, who has been with the network since 2011, alerted security, and the man was arrested by the police.
“There was no altercation, and no one was injured,” NBC said in a statement, adding, “We are reviewing the incident and our security protocols and remain committed to providing a safe and secure environment for everyone who works at and visits our studios.”
The security breach happened right before 9 a.m., during the middle of the “Today” show broadcast, a department spokesperson said, when a man entered the lobby and headed through gold doors on the first floor and went upstairs. He encountered Mr. Melvin, who chased the man back through the lobby in an encounter that lasted between eight and 10 seconds, the police said. The man was detained by Rockefeller Center, and then arrested by a police officer “without incident,” the department said.
Officers were alerted to a “disorderly individual” inside 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the Midtown Manhattan building that also includes several NBC studios, like Studio 8H, where “Saturday Night Live” is filmed. Officials have not yet identified the man who was arrested.
Mr. Melvin has had a variety of roles since joining NBC. He first became a news anchor on “Today” in 2018, and last year was promoted to a full-time host, replacing Hoda Kotb in one of the most high-profile roles in broadcast television. He had also been a MSNBC host.
He recently sat down for an interview with the former first lady, Jill Biden, about the release of her new book, during which he pressed her about the former President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s fitness for office.
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