Man who videotaped punch: 'In the right spot at the right time'

For about five years, Rai Goulsby has walked around Seattle with a camcorder around his neck, looking to catch some action — a car crash, a crazy fight — and maybe earn a few bucks selling the footage.

Monday, he videotaped a Seattle police officer punching a teenager in the face. Finally, Goulsby thought, he caught something to sell.

He went to KING-TV and KOMO-TV, asking for $1,000 for the footage, according to KING assistant news director Laura Newborn.

"We paid him substantially less than that," she said, adding the standard fee is $50 to $100.

Goulsby, 26, says the national media are interested, too. "ABC, CNN, 'Inside Edition,' " he said. "They wanted to try to set up an interview with me. I'm not sure how to go about handling the situation."

Recently laid off as a communications technician, he's been looking for work, he said.

Videotaping has been a hobby. He said he had about 50 videos posted on YouTube until the site shut him down. They included fights, accidents, even a guy who pulled a knife and tried to kill himself.

"I called 911 at the same time I was filming it," Goulsby said. The man survived.

"I guess I'm kind of in the right spot at the right time," he said.

He didn't know the two females who scuffled with the officer. But he said he thinks the officer let things escalate too far. The officer "placed his hand on one of the females and she kind of felt violated," Goulsby said. "I felt that was wrong, and everyone should know that."

Although he has a criminal record, nearly all of it as a juvenile, he said he doesn't have anything against the police: "I know there's a lot of good officers, especially in the Seattle police."

News researcher Miyoko Wolf contributed to this report.

Maureen O'Hagan: 206-464-2562 or mohagan@seattletimes.com