ABC News Walks on the Fightin' Side of Blankenship

"Massey Energy Co. CEO Don Blankenship threatened to shoot an ABC News producer and physically attacked him when the newsman tried to interview the coal company executive in a parking lot near Blankenship's office," The Associated Press reports, quoting a network spokesman.

The Charleston Daily Mail also has a story about the alleged tussle "in the parking lot of the Massey Energy chief's Kentucky office."

"ABC is working on a story about Blankenship's relationship with state Supreme Court Chief Justice Elliott 'Spike' Maynard," AP explains. "The two were photographed vacationing in Monaco in July 2006 while Massey had cases pending before the court."

Blankenship told the Daily Mail "he grabbed the reporter's shirt Tuesday but only after the reporter aggressively shoved a camera in his face and hit him in the chest with it."

As AP relates, Blankenship then says "the producer grabbed his arm and he grabbed the producer's chest to keep his balance. Blankenship said he slowly moved the producer toward his car and repeatedly asked him to leave."

"ABC plans to air footage next week that shows Blankenship telling the producer, 'If you're going to start taking pictures of me, you're liable to get shot,'" ABC spokesman Jeffrey Schneider told AP.

Blankenship then grabbed the camera, snapped off a microphone, put his hand's to the man's throat and tore his shirt collar, Schneider said.

"Blankenship said he doesn't remember saying the producer might be shot, though he doesn't dispute that comment," the AP article said.

Update: ABC News has a story and a 12-photo slide show.