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Are there police reports, bodycam footage, or witness statements about Cam Higby being pepper-sprayed?
Executive summary
Reporting by multiple outlets describes conservative journalist/influencer Cam Higby saying he was pepper-sprayed while covering a Dearborn protest on Nov. 18 and shows earlier, separate incidents in which Higby deployed pepper spray at Union Station; current reports cite video and police involvement but do not provide a public police report file or body‑cam footage linked in the articles (Fox News reports Higby said he was pepper‑sprayed at Dearborn; Fox5DC and related outlets published video of a separate Union Station pepper‑spray incident) [1] [2] [3].
1. What the articles say about the Dearborn incident
Fox News published coverage in which Cam Higby said he was pepper‑sprayed after confronting a counter‑protester while documenting anti‑Islam/Free Palestine demonstrations in Dearborn, Michigan; the piece quotes Higby recounting that a man pushed him as he tried to record and that he shoved back before being pepper‑sprayed, and notes Higby told Dearborn City Council he was pepper‑sprayed and robbed while documenting confrontations [1] [3]. The Fox News video clip likewise frames the encounter as an attack while Higby questioned a counter‑protester [3].
2. Video and police reporting available in the public coverage
Available articles on the Dearborn episode relay Higby’s account and include a Fox News video clip, but the provided sources do not contain or link to an official police report file, body‑worn camera footage, or published witness statements beyond Higby’s own account in those pieces (available sources do not mention a public police report or bodycam footage for Dearborn) [1] [3].
3. Context from prior Union Station episode involving pepper spray
Several outlets from October 2025 documented a separate incident where Higby himself pepper‑sprayed a woman at Union Station after an on‑camera scuffle; Fox5DC, KFOX and other pieces describe and cite Higby’s video showing the woman grabbing his hat and him deploying pepper spray, and U.S. Park Police saying officers responded and the woman faced charges [2] [4]. These prior reports establish that both Higby and others have used or alleged use of pepper spray in contentious public confrontations, which is relevant context when evaluating later claims [2] [4].
4. What the reporting does—and does not—prove
The Fox News Dearborn articles assert Higby’s description of being pepper‑sprayed and mention he spoke to the city council; they do not independently corroborate the sequence with an attached police report, released witness statements, or published bodycam footage in the provided files (available sources do not mention those documents for Dearborn) [1] [3]. Conversely, the Union Station coverage includes direct social video posted by Higby and confirmation U.S. Park Police responded and that charges were pursued, giving stronger public corroboration for that separate incident [2] [4].
5. Competing narratives and potential agendas
Fox News and right‑leaning outlets report Higby’s Dearborn account prominently and frame it as an assault on a conservative journalist; conservative outlets also emphasized prior episodes where Higby was attacked or used pepper spray in self‑defense [1] [5]. Local and mainstream outlets covering the Union Station incident focused on the posted video and police action, which carries a different tone because of visual evidence and cited law‑enforcement response [2] [4]. Readers should note that outlets with sympathetic editorial stances toward Higby highlight victimization; other outlets focused on video and police charging decisions for the Union Station event—those differences reflect editorial priorities, not necessarily contradictory facts [1] [2] [5].
6. What to look for next to confirm details
To confirm whether there are police reports, bodycam videos, or witness statements for the Dearborn episode, seek: (a) an official Dearborn Police or Wayne County public records release or statement; (b) video posted by bystanders or municipal body‑cam footage released under public records; and (c) any formal complaints or incident numbers cited in local council minutes or law‑enforcement bulletins. The current provided coverage does not include those records (available sources do not mention release of those materials for the Dearborn incident) [1] [3].
7. Bottom line for readers
Existing articles document Higby’s claim he was pepper‑sprayed in Dearborn and separately document a Union Station pepper‑spray confrontation captured on video with police involvement—yet the provided sources do not supply a public police report, body‑worn camera footage, or independent witness statements for the Dearborn incident; confirmation requires additional public records or releases beyond the current reporting [1] [2] [3] [4].