Seriously, folks, we can't make this stuff up.
Fox & Friends co-host Pete Hegseth is making headlines after a segment that aired during last Sunday's broadcast which sees the television personality toss an ax to tease a spot on timbersports...only to miss the target and hit marching band percussionist Jeff Prosperie in the background.
Before we go any further: yes, the drummer is alive and well.
In honor of flag day, the West Point Hellcats marching band played throughout the show, and Prosperie happened to be standing behind the bulls-eye, which was positioned on a large wooden board.
Hegseth is seen flinging the ax at the target, but he accidentally tosses it over the board—cue his intense grimace—at which point it strikes Prosperie, who, although shaken up, appears relatively uninjured as he grabs his right arm.
While the video did air on Fox, Prosperie took to Facebook to detail his own account of the incident, noting that the video was edited so that we never actually see the ax hit him.
"I was hit by an axe while performing a drum solo live on National TV.....words I never imagined saying!" he wrote. "This happened last Sunday and I have been reluctant to post but starting to receive inquiries from concerned family and friends. I am thankful to God that the double sided blade only hit broadside on the outer elbow with significant impact and a couple of cuts as it fell along my wrist. It could have been much worse or fatal. Focusing on full physical and emotional recovery."
I was hit by an axe while performing a drum solo live on National TV.....words I never imagined saying! This happened...
Posted by Jeff Prosperie on Saturday, June 20, 2015
He also posted raw footage of the incident and elaborated further when pressed for details by commenters.
"My leadership told me they were told there would be no axe throwing. I think the anchor person went rogue and decided to throw it," he explained. "He had only thrown it once before in practice for an upcoming segment and they told him to throw it with more force.
He continued, noting that his clip contained footage from a bystander's cell phone.
"The vid you see is edited showing the Televised portion of the throw and then edited to a portion that was taken on someone's phone of us being videoed," he shared. "The part that was actually televised showed the overthrown axe and then segued to us for the drum solo bump, only showing me walking behind the section holding my arm. The actual part where the axe hit me was not televised."
He added: "Poor decision, obvious negligence, should not have happened, could have been avoided. When shooting or throwing, always know what is behind your target. Basic safety rule. I'm feeling blessed on Father's day with my 5 children, alive, and with all limbs."