Denver ABC-affiliate KMGH is publicly disputing an ABC News report about Colorado theater shooting suspect James Holmes.

Both ABC News and the New York Daily News reported yesterday Holmes has been spitting at officers at the Arapahoe County Jail, and at one point was forced to wear a face guard. John Ferrugia, a longtime investigative reporter at KMGH, took to Twitter to offer a conflicting report from what he called a “knowledgeable source”:

#lawenforcement sources deny #theatershooting supect spit on guards and wore face mask. “simply b.s.” says knowledgable source. #7News

— john ferrugia (@johnferrugia7) July 24, 2012

KMGH, which is owned by Scripps, also has a story on its website denying the report, although it cites “two national news organizations” without naming ABC News specifically:  Read more

John Ferrugia, a longtime investigative reporter at Denver ABC-affiliate KMGH, has been awarded the Missorui School of Journalism’s Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism for 2012.

“It’s humbling,” Ferrugia told the Denver Post. “When I got the letter, I had to check to make sure it was to me. I was stunned. This is not something that you apply for. It just came out of the blue.”

Ferrugia, one of 10 recipients, will be presented with the award in October. According to the Post, other winners this year include New York editor-in-chief Adam Moss, Washington Post investigative reporter Jeff Leen and the New York Times graphics department.