CNN Crew Arrested: On Live TV by Minnesota State Police

Calamity Jane

6 years ago

Can you say Fascist?

I knew ya could.

Network correspondent Omar Jimenez and the crew could be seen being taken into custody, although what appeared to be Jimenez’s media credentials were visible on him.

A CNN reporter and camera crew were arrested live on TV by police in Minneapolis on Friday morning near the scene of Thursday night’s protests.

They were released after more than an hour in custody, after CNN Worldwide President Jeff Zucker spoke to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who apologized and said the arrests should not have happened, the network reported.

CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez told the network’s anchors after his release that he and his crew had tried to move out of the way of officers prior to the arrests. A protester ran by at that moment and was arrested, and shortly afterward the CNN crew was also taken into custody, Jimenez said.

The network reported that the arresting officers were from the Minnesota State Patrol. The reason for their arrests was not clear.

“There was no animosity there; they weren’t violent with me.”
Omar Jimenez
CNN correspondent

“I’m just following orders.”
Minnesota State Patrol Officer

In a statement, Minnesota State Patrol said that “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 said the account was untrue, pointing out that the encounter was caught on live TV. “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.

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.
— MN State Patrol (@MnDPS_MSP) May 29, 2020

Jimenez and the crew could be seen being taken into custody around 5:15 a.m. local time, although what appeared to be Jimenez’s media credentials were visible on him.

“A CNN reporter & 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, incl. the Governor, must release the 3 CNN employees immediately.”
CNN

Some other media organizations condemned the arrests, including MSNBC, which said in a statement that the CNN journalists “were simply doing their jobs in a tough situation on the ground in Minneapolis.”