‘Today’ anchor Craig Melvin chases intruder from 30 Rock as show airs
The incident did not result in any injuries, the police said.
Craig Melvin, the Today anchor, chased away a man who had sneaked past security at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York, where NBC is headquartered, on Thursday and managed to approach Melvin near the show’s Studio 1A, the New York Police Department said.
Melvin, who has been with the network since 2011, alerted security, and the man was arrested by 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 Melvin, who chased the man back through the lobby in an encounter that lasted between 8 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, such as Studio 8H, where Saturday Night Live is filmed. Officials have not yet identified the man who was arrested.
In an Instagram post Thursday afternoon, Melvin said he was “doing just fine” and thanked “so many of you” for reaching out after the security incident. “I’m looking forward to seeing you tomorrow morning on @todayshow.”
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 host on MSNBC.
He recently sat down for an interview with former first lady Jill Biden about the release of her new book, during which he pressed her about former President Joe Biden’s fitness for office.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.