Which TV newsreporter in late 1986 was embarrassed when he showed a police drug bust on live television only to end up being sued for false arrest?

In December 1986, the syndicated television special "American Vice: The Doping of a Nation" promised an unprecedented, live look into the war on drugs. The program's host and his camera crews accompanied law enforcement officers as they conducted a series of drug raids in real time. The event was promoted as a gritty, groundbreaking piece of television journalism that would bring the action of a police bust directly into viewers' homes.

The broadcast, however, quickly became a spectacle of questionable ethics and underwhelming results. Instead of taking down major drug kingpins, the raids mostly targeted low-level dealers and users. The most infamous segment occurred during a raid on a Houston motel, where the suspects seemed more confused than dangerous as they were handcuffed on camera. One woman was shown wearing only a towel, adding to the sense of exploitation.

The fallout (Review) was immediate and damaging. Several of the individuals who were arrested live on television were never formally charged with any crime. They subsequently filed a lawsuit against the famous mustachioed reporter and the show's producers for false arrest and invasion of privacy. The case was eventually settled out of court, but the incident cemented the host's reputation for sensationalism and became a cautionary tale about the perils of live, reality-style broadcasting.