*(Via Journal-isms) – Officers arrested CNN reporter Omar Jimenez and his team, covering the violent protests in Minneapolis over the police killing of George Floyd, then later released them. Minnesota’s governor apologized, CNN reported Friday.
“CNN president Jeff Zucker spoke with the governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz on Friday morning . . .,” the network said.
“Walz said he ‘deeply apologizes’ for what happened and is working to have the CNN team released immediately.
“Walz described the arrests as ‘unacceptable,’ said CNN’s team clearly has the right to be there, and said he wants the media to be in Minnesota to cover the protests.”
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
CNN reported earlier, “Here is how the situation unfolded:
“At 5:09 a.m. local time, CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez was reporting live on an arrest happening in the area 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. He was standing in front of a long line of police officers in riot gear.
“Shortly after his crew captured the arrest on camera, the police officers moved towards Jimenez and his crew, asking them to move.
“Jimenez told the officers he and his three colleagues were part of the same CNN crew and calmly identified himself with his CNN identification card.
“Jimenez was then heard as telling the officers:
” ‘We can move back to where you’d like. 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., two officers in riot gear stepped up to Jimenez and said ‘you are under arrest.’
“Jimenez calmly asked why was he under arrest.
” ‘Why am I under arrest, sir?’
“He was then handcuffed and led away by the police, as the camera kept rolling.
“Shortly after that, CNN photojournalist Leonel Mendez who was with Jimenez said he and the rest of the crew were also being arrested.
“The camera then showed Jimenez’s producer Bill Kirkos being handcuffed taken into custody.
“Shortly after that, the camera, which was still rolling, was taken away from the crew. .. .”
CNN’s @OmarJimenez and his crew have been released from police custody. He recounts getting arrested and what happened while they were in custody. https://t.co/suYinPBP5T pic.twitter.com/sqB4pxdxMz
— New Day (@NewDay) May 29, 2020
Also on Friday morning, Essence magazine announced that Senior Editor Yesha Callahan was interviewing George Floyd family lawyer Benjamin Crump. “She will then speak to the victim’s best friend, Stephen Jackson, immediately afterward. Click here to tune in now,” the notice said.
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