Bill Deiz

I just read Lorraine Hillman's piece. She mentioned the SLA shootout but didn't mention that I was the reporter who staked out the position for the live broadcast across from the SLA house where we reported for the next 2 and 1/2 hours, live, --along with Bob Simmons, and Rich Brito and Rey Hernandez as crew. After leaving KNXT (under my own steam), I was hired as nightly news anchor at KCOP TV, and formed a small video production company that did work for Warner Brothers Pictures, Hanna Barbera, Getty Oil, Playboy, and others. When I returned to Portland in 1980, I got there just in time to cover the Mount St. Helens volcano for CBS KOIN TV, including the explosive May 18th eruption, where we were trapped by a mudflow and had to be airlifted out; on May 19th we flew a rescue mission with a National Guard helicopter crew, and our video of the "moonscape" near the volcano, with trees laid neatly in rows like match sticks, led the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite; and that led to Bill Applegate hiring me at CBS KPIX TV in San Francisco after which I headed over to KCBS Radio in San Francisco as an Anchor/Reporter.

I really enjoyed my years in Los Angeles...especially at KNXT (KCBS TV)...it was my best professional experience so far. Even got to act in shows like Kojak, Columbo, The Incredible Hulk, The Nightstalker, Police Woman, Baretta and a bunch more playing reporter roles! But I'm a northwest "homeboy" at heart, and knew that I'd be back in Portland, someday, raising a family, which I've done with my wife, Judy Rooks, who is one of the senior managers at The Oregonian newspaper where she's labored for the past 24 years. Ironically, BOTH of our sons chose Southern California for their college: they are at Pomona College in Claremont, Ca., and our eldest just finished a paid internship at a Beverly Hills motion picture production company and he graduates college this month! Thanks for your kind words. Sincerely, Bill Deiz

Hi Bob:

Thanks for posting my emails. I read with interest Dan Gingold's account of the SLA shootout and just wanted to add a few recollections that are slightly at odds with his account.

Rich Brito, Rey Hernandez and I were covering an impromptu news conference with LAPD not far from 54th and Compton. In the middle of the news conference, one of our film runners grabbed my elbow and said that police now had a better fix on the SLA house and that we'd better get over there. We broke away from the news conference and dived into our ENG van and drove to the corner of 55th and Compton--right into the intersection--and looked to our left and saw police on the ground with guns drawn and pointing down Compton toward 54th. We were right in the potential line of fire. We quickly backed up and got out of the intersection just as police began to seal off the area. Rich grabbed his camera and I grabbed a microphone while Rey pulled cable and we went to the corner of 55th and Compton and peeked down the street--just as all hell broke loose--like high noon in a Western movie. The SLA--holed up near 54th and Compton--had begun firing at police. We grabbed our gear and dashed down an alley way almost to 54th and squeezed through two houses to get back to Compton. We crouched low and Rich started rolling while I started describing the action. We had had to pull cable all the way from the Van, still parked at 55th and Compton to our new location near 54th and Compton. Dan described my first reporting as hysterical. I was excited, agitated and concerned for our safety and it came through in my voice... as automatic weapons fire, some of it coming directly at us, thudded into the houses nearby and just missed us. Rey and Rich bravely held their ground and we continued our reporting. From time to time we would try to get closer to the house, only to be turned back by police, repeatedly. After awhile, Bob Simmons joined us at the scene and for the duration we team reported...Bob bravely going out to collect new information, while I continued anchoring from our position. I had trained as a combat infantry rifleman with the US Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton, and this was the closest I had been to combat at that point. Excited, yes, as our broadcast clearly showed. Hysterical? I don't think so!

We later received Los Angeles Emmy and Golden Mike Awards for our coverage; along with commendations from the Los Angeles City Council and the Los Angeles Police Protective League for our coverage under fire in the highest traditions of journalism. It was a team effort, all the way, and I was lucky to be a part of a great team!

Thanks for letting me share!

Sincerely,

Bill Deiz