Washington - Police in Minneapolis
released a CNN reporter who was led off in handcuffs along with
his film crew while reporting live on television early Friday
morning during violent protests in the city.
Officers gave no explanation as they escorted reporter Omar
Jimenez away. He had just shown a protester being arrested when
about half a dozen police officers in gas masks surrounded him.
More than an hour later, the crew was released.
"What gave me one bit of comfort was that it happened on
live TV," Jimenez told viewers after he was released. "You don't
have to doubt my story it's not filtered in any way; you saw it
with your own eyes."
The striking footage of the arrest could add to racial
tension in the city and across the country, where sympathy
protests have taken place. Jimenez is black, while most of the
police officers who arrested him appeared to be white.
Minnesota police arrest CNN reporter and camera crew as they report from protests in Minneapolis https://t.co/oZdqBti776 pic.twitter.com/3QbeTjD5ed
— CNN (@CNN) May 29, 2020
Thursday marked a third night of arson, looting and
vandalism in the Minnesota city over the death of a black man,
George Floyd, seen on video gasping for breath while a white
police officer knelt on his neck.
"A CNN reporter and his production team were arrested this
morning in Minneapolis for doing their jobs, despite identifying
themselves - a clear violation of their First Amendment rights.
The authorities in Minnesota, including the governor, must
release the three CNN employees immediately," CNN wrote on
Twitter before the crew were released.
CNN anchor John Berman told viewers about an hour after the
arrest that CNN President Adam Zucker had spoken with Minnesota
Governor Tim Walz, who said he "deeply apologizes" and was
working to have the crew released immediately.
Jimenez said the crew had been standing on a street for
about an hour and a half before police activity kicked up. They
moved onto a corner to get out of the way, he said.
On air, Jimenez told the officers wearing gas masks and face
shields that he wanted to know where to move to get out of their
way and explained he was a member of the press.
"This is among the state patrol unit that was advancing up
the street, seeing and scattering the protesters at that point
for people to clear the area. And so we walked away," Jimenez
said before being told he was under arrest and handcuffed by two
officers. "Why am I under arrest, sir?"
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/OmarJimenez?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OmarJimenezand his crew have been released from police custody. He recounts getting arrested and what happened while they were in custody. https://t.co/v3kMq77Oro pic.twitter.com/JoqmwlTc5i
— CNN (@CNN)
Walz, expected to have a press conference later on Friday,
has declared a state of emergency in Minnesota and ordered the
National Guard activated. President Donald Trump suggested in a
tweet that looters would be shot. Twitter hid Trump's tweet with
a warning for "glorifying violence."
Protests also erupted in other major cities around the
country, including Louisville, Kentucky, where police said seven
people had been shot.