It would be interesting to know how often, if ever that happened. Certainly was a possibility
Indeed. From a 2017 article:
Riding a Vespa and armed only with her Leica camera, Battaglia scoured the alleys of Palermo, day and night. She was always the first on the scene of the crime, often even before police and relatives.
“They were terrible years,” Battaglia said, slowly blowing out cigarette smoke. “You no longer knew who your friends or enemies were. In the morning, you came out of the house and did not know if you’d come back in the evening. The bosses could blow my head off, any second. When the police stopped them, I approached them, as close as possible, to photograph them, in their handcuffs. I wanted the bosses to look me in my eyes, even at the cost of spitting on my face. That was also a way for me to challenge the mafia.”
Celebrated Italian photojournalist reveals how the death of a 10-year-old boy influenced her work
www.theguardian.com
This is photojournalism. In case of documentary photography, the photographer takes the time to know the subjects, becomes part of their lives. Famous example is Gordon Parks' Harlem Gang Leader series:
The Gordon Parks Foundation permanently preserves the work of Gordon Parks, makes it available to the public through exhibitions, books, and electronic media and supports artistic and educational activities that advance what Gordon described as "the common search for a better life and a better...
www.gordonparksfoundation.org
Both take amazing courage.
www.theguardian.com
