1994 Pulitzer Prize, Spot News Photography, Paul Watson, Toronto Star
On Oct. 3, a U.S. Army unit engages in a fierce fight with Somali warlord Mohammed Farah Aidid. In the aftermath, Watson hears that an American serviceman has been captured. Out on the street, he discovers a mob dragging the body of a U.S. soldier. “I approached with a bodyguard on either side. The mob parted long enough for me to shoot about seven frames. My bodyguard forced me back into the car because he had heard threats from the crowd.”
Watson’s first photographs show the filthy body of the dead soldier, clad only in underwear, partially exposing his genitalia. “1 jumped out to get just a few frames more. They were all half-body pictures. I didn’t want to give any editor an excuse not to use the picture.”
Hundreds of newspapers publish the photograph. The public reacts with horror. In March 1994, the United States withdraws entire military force from Somalia.
#blackhawkdown
