CNN crew’s arrest a harsh reminder for Hearst reporter

Stop arresting reporters for doing their job.

That was one of many tweets I sent out before the clock even hit 7:30 a.m. Friday.

The news, locally, this week has been busy; nationally, too. Despite my unusually early wakeup, I was glad to have reached the end of a hectic week.

It was a good Friday for about five minutes.

Then I saw the video of CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez and his production crew getting arrested while doing their jobs, covering ongoing protests in Minneapolis in the wake of the death of George Floyd after his arrest by Minneapolis officers. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison told CNN he expects “there will be charges” against the four officers involved in Floyd’s death.

On Friday afternoon, Minnesota state prosecutors charged fired Minneapolice police officer Derek Chauvin, who was seen on video kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, who died in custody after pleading that he couldn’t breathe, with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Jimenez, along with producer Bill Kirkos and photojournalist Leonel Mendez, were arrested on live television shortly after 6 a.m.

It was 6:52 a.m. I was awake and I was angry.

My brain took me back to Bridgeport on the night of May 9, 2019. For my own sanity, I won’t rehash all the details surrounding my arrest.

But here’s the thing: I was on the sidewalk. I was doing my job. I identified myself. I didn’t have a crew — no other media were there at that point actually because our photographer had just left about 10 minutes prior.

I got arrested while my phone filmed the entire thing, capturing mostly just the audio as two sergeants pulled my arms back and put cuffs on my wrists.

Like Jimenez and his crew, no immediate reason was given for my arrest.

CNN president Jeff Zucker spoke with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Friday morning after the team’s arrest, according to CNN. Walz apologized to Zucker for the arrests and said he was working to have them released immediately.

Hearst Connecticut Media’s then-Vice President of News Matt DeRienzo had a call with Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim after my arrest — I’m sure much like the conversation Zucker had with Walz. Like Walz, Ganim apologized. He said he was encouraging police officials to release me.

In a statement later Friday, Minnesota State Patrol said: “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.”

The city of Bridgeport released a similar statement after my arrest.

Walz said the Minneapolis arrests were “unacceptable,” CNN reported. They were.

The team was released from the Hennepin County Public Safety facility in downtown Minneapolis around 7 a.m.

Before their arrests, Jimenez was standing in front of a long line of police officers in riot gear, when the officers moved toward Jimenez and his crew and asked them to move.

It was all on camera. Jimenez told the officers he and his three colleagues were part of a CNN crew and identified himself with his CNN identification card, CNN reports.

“We can move back to where you’d like,” Jimenez is heard saying. “We can move back to where you’d like here. We are live on the air at the moment. This is the four of us. We are one team. Just put us back where you want us. We’re getting out of your way. So, just let us know. Wherever you’d want us, we will go. We were just getting out of your way when you were advancing through the intersection. Let us know and we’ve got you.”

At 5:11 a.m. local time — 6:11 a.m. here in Connecticut — two officers in riot gear stepped up to Jimenez and said, “you are under arrest.” Jimenez asked why. He was handcuffed and led away by the officers.

Again, the camera and the live audience watching this unfold, caught it all. It felt all too familiar for me.

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, an organization that highlights violations against journalists, said at least 40 journalists have been arrested while covering protests since 2017. Nine journalists were arrested in 2019.

Two journalists have been arrested so far this year, according to the organization’s data, which has not yet been updated to include the CNN arrests.

The data shows at least eight journalists have been attacked, at least five have had equipment damaged, at least six have faced access denials and at least eight have been served subpoenas or legal orders. I say “at least” because there’s no guarantee every incident is reported on.

Back in Connecticut, News 12 reporter John Craven captured what I was feeling perfectly in a tweet: “These encounters between police and journalists are a lot more common than people know — just ask @Tara_ONeill_ from @connpost — but they rarely play out on live TV.”

CNN called the team’s arrests as “a violation of First Amendment rights.” And that’s exactly what it was.

Those officers could have told the crew where they could move to, especially given how cooperative Jimenez was leading up to the arrests.

The media must continue to condemn First Amendment rights violations, like the arrests of Jimenez, Kirkos and Mendez.

Any police officers involved in arrests of the media in situations like this should undergo First Amendment training to ensure this never happens again. If the training doesn’t exist, create it. This is not acceptable.

O’Neill