The CNN Reporters arrested during the Minnesota protest overnight have now been released. The release happened about an hour after the arrest.
The crew members were on the scene to cover 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 building was earlier set ablaze.
Jimenez was captured 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.
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.
According to CNN, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz deeply apologized to Worldwide President Jeff Zucker and CNN for what happened and would work to have the crew released.
Later, after the crew was freed, Walz told reporters: “We have got to ensure that there is a safe spot for journalism to tell the story.”
The troopers were clearing the area at Walz’s direction, he said, adding there was “absolutely no reason” for the journalists’ arrests and that he takes full responsibility.
Jimenez and the others — producer Bill Kirkos and photojournalist Leonel Mendez — had been taken to the city’s downtown public safety building after their arrest, but were released after 6 a.m. CT. Arresting reporters at a protest is affront the First Amendment.
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 spoke out 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.”
Another CNN reporter Josh Campbell was also stopped by Police, but said he 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.”
The CNN reporters arrested were Jimenez who is black and Latino. Kirkos who is white, and Mendez who is Hispanic.
“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 having the CNN reporters arrested 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 crew’s arrest is a counterpoint, CNN political analyst Bakari Sellers said, to anyone who says, “All you have to do is comply; all you have to do is use your nice inside voice, and the police will leave you alone.”
“We have a white reporter on the ground, and we have a brown reporter on the ground. They are a block apart. The brown reporter is arrested and the white reporter is telling us what’s happening,” Sellers said.
“We saw a reporter who is educated, who is brown, who is doing his job better than anybody … (who) was in harm’s way, letting the American people see what’s going on, on the ground. He complied. He said he would move. … You almost have to laugh not to just be furious.”
