CNN crew released from police custody after they were arrested live on air in Minneapolis

    (CNN) — A CNN crew was arrested while giving a live television report Friday morning in Minneapolis — and then released about an hour later — as the crew covered ongoing protests over the death in police custody of George Floyd.

State police detained CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez, his producer and his photojournalist shortly after 5 a.m. CT (6 a.m. ET) as Jimenez was reporting live from a street south of downtown, near where a police precinct was earlier set ablaze.
 

A CNN reporter and camera crew were arrested during their coverage of protests in Minnesota. CNN is calling the arrest of its team in Minneapolis “a clear violation of their First Amendment rights.”pic.twitter.com/j71VEhSvq3

— KSL NewsRadio (@kslnewsradio) May 29, 2020

Jimenez could be seen holding his CNN badge while reporting, identifying himself as a reporter, and telling the officers the crew would move wherever officers needed them to. An officer gripped his arm as Jimenez talked, then put him in handcuffs.

“We can move back to where you like. We are live on the air here. … Put us back where you want us. We are getting out of your way — wherever you want us (we’ll) get out of your way,” Jimenez said to police before he was led away.

“We were just getting out of your way when you were advancing through the intersection,” Jimenez continued.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz told CNN Worldwide President Jeff Zucker that he deeply apologizes for what happened and would work to have the crew released.

Stelter: Arresting reporters at a protest is an affront to the First Amendment

Jimenez and the others — producer Bill Kirkos and photojournalist Leonel Mendez — were taken to the city’s downtown public safety building, but were released after 6 a.m. CT.

Jimenez, after his release, reported live outside from downtown and said he’d been treated cordially after he’d been led away.

“We’re doing OK, now. There were a few uneasy moments there,” Jimenez said.

The Minneapolis State Patrol said this about the incident:

“In the course of clearing the streets and restoring order at Lake Street and Snelling Avenue, four people were arrested by State Patrol troopers, including three members of a CNN crew. The three were released once they were confirmed to be members of the media.”

CNN disputed the state police characterization in a statement on Twitter.

“This is not accurate – our CNN crew identified themselves, on live television, immediately as journalists. We thank Minnesota @GovTimWalz for his swift action this morning to aid in the release of our crew.”

  

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has apologized for the arrest of a CNN reporter and camera crew and says he will have them released. “It was totally unacceptable.” https://t.co/wzsTRlW3I4 pic.twitter.com/7xec3wTnbm

— CNN (@CNN) May 29, 2020

Another CNN reporter was ‘treated much differently‘

CNN’s Josh Campell, who also was in the area but not standing with the on-air crew, said he, too, was approached by police, but was allowed to remain.

“I identified myself … they said, ‘OK, you’re permitted to be in the area,'” recounted Campbell, who is white. “I was treated much differently than (Jimenez) was.”

Jimenez is black and Latino.

“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 said in a statement shortly after their arrest.

Former Philadelphia police commissioner Charles Ramsey, a CNN law enforcement analyst, said the arrest made no sense.

“State police are going to have a lot to answer for this arrest here,” Ramsey said. “(Jimenez is) standing there … you can see his credential. Just move him where you want to be.”

“They should have a designated (media) area, and just tell them to move to that area.”

The arrest

The crew members were handcuffed and detained as Jimenez gave a live report on a Minneapolis street. A line of state troopers had just arrived at the area, which city police seemed to have abandoned for hours overnight after the police precinct building was set on fire.

Intermittently, an officer told people over a loudspeaker to “disperse immediately” or face arrest.

Troopers were advancing down the street and soon approached the three-person crew while moving in to arrest a fourth person behind them.

Police told the crew they were being detained because they were told to move, and didn’t, one member of the CNN crew relayed to the network.

After the CNN photojournalist was detained, his camera was set on the ground and continued to transmit live images.

Jimenez and the crew had been reporting from the site, near a city police department precinct that protesters had burned and officers had abandoned overnight. About a block away, a fire was burning at a different, four-story building that had contained restaurants.

Over 100 state police officers in body armor and riot gear had arrived shortly before 5 a.m. CT and lined up near the area where the CNN crew was, near the precinct building on East Lake Street.

For a portion of time overnight — from sometime after city police abandoned the precinct building that was set ablaze — police weren’t in the area until the troopers arrived Friday morning, Jimenez had reported. The four-story event and restaurant building was burning unabated, and people were throwing things into the flames, Jimenez said.

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