The incident occurred this morning (July 16) around 9 a.m. ET and was not aired on the Today broadcast, according to TMZ.
Per law enforcement sources cited by the outlet, the intruder was searching for veteran Today weatherman Al Roker. When he couldn’t find him, the man confronted Melvin, lunging at him while shouting a racial slur. The man was arrested, and no one was injured.
The man, reported by TMZ to be white and unarmed, entered a stairwell and made his way backstage near the dressing rooms. A photo published by the outlet shows Melvin surrounded by several people in the wake of the incident.
About 15 minutes after the incident, both Melvin and Roker appeared on air without mentioning the confrontation.
According to TMZ, the incident has left staff demanding answers about the massive security breach. They are questioning how an intruder was able to follow one of the show’s most prominent personalities from the public plaza and slip undetected deep into the building.
Melvin, who joined NBC’s Washington, D.C. station WRC in 2008, has been with the network for years. After moving to MSNBC in 2011, he was named co-anchor of Today in 2018. He also serves as co-host of the show’s third hour and hosts syndicated Dateline NBC broadcasts.