Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has apologized to CNN after three crew members were arrested early Friday by state police during a live report on protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. According to CNN, correspondent Omar Jimenez, producer Bill Kirkos, and photojournalist Leonel Mendez were reporting near a city police department precinct that had been burned overnight as more than 100 state police officers came on the scene wearing body armor and riot gear. The crew, released about an hour later, was detained around 5am local time after capturing footage of a protester being arrested behind them. Jimenez was seen holding his CNN badge while identifying himself as a reporter to about a half dozen white officers.
"We can move back to where you like ... We are getting out of your way," said Jimenez, who is black and Latino. An officer then grabbed Jimenez's arm and put him in handcuffs. Police reportedly claimed the three had refused a request to move. But Josh Campbell, a CNN reporter who was standing apart from the on-air crew, says police acknowledged he was permitted to be in the area. "I identified myself" and "was treated much differently than [Jimenez]," says Campbell, who is white. Asked to intervene, Walz "deeply apologized" and told CNN Worldwide President Jeff Zucker he would work to have the crew released. Jimenez later said officers were "cordial" but not apologetic, per the Poynter Institute. "The one thing that gave me a little comfort is that it happened on live TV," he said. (More CNN stories.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
