Police presence at the Brooklyn Center Police Department. April 12, 2021. Photo by Adam Chau for AsAmNews
In what the Huff Post describes as aggressive, police in Minnesota arrested CNN producer Carolyn Sung and other members of the news media last week.
The arrests happened during the protests of the shooting death of Daunte Wright outside the Brooklyn Center Police Department.
Journalists report being harassed, intimidated and detained by police while covering the unrest.
Brian Stelter of CNN described Sung’s perspective on what happened during the program Reliable Sources.
Unrest is no excuse for First Amendment violations. pic.twitter.com/YBhVV6ol1O
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) April 19, 2021
Her lawyer Leita Walker told The Hill police grabbed her “by her backpack, threw her to the ground, zip-typing her hands behind her back.”
Sung says she was complying with police orders to disperse and did not resist arrest. She also says she tried to show her media credentials, but officers remained unswayed. At one point, her lawyer said an officer asked Sung if she spoke English.
Walker is representing several journalists who were also arrested during the protests.
Governor Tim Walz responded to concerns expressed by journalists.
“A free press is foundational to our democracy. Reporters worked tirelessly during this tumultuous year to keep Minnesotans informed,” he said in a tweet. “I convened a meeting today with media and law enforcement to determine a better path forward to protect the journalists covering civil unrest.”
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