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{
"title": "Local TV station's news van set on fire",
"url": "https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/local-tv-stations-news-van-set-fire/",
"first_published_at": "2018-11-21T23:20:11.971518Z",
"last_published_at": "2024-01-05T16:25:15.182072Z",
"latest_revision_created_at": "2024-01-05T16:25:15.099672Z",
"date": "2018-10-26",
"exact_date_unknown": false,
"city": "Salinas",
"longitude": -121.6555,
"latitude": 36.67774,
"body": "<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"tw62h\">A KSBW TV Action News 8 production van was set on fire in the station’s parking lot on Oct. 26, 2018, in Salinas, California.</p><p data-block-key=\"ui9it\">The van was set on fire sometime between 9 and 10 pm on Friday night while the van was parked on Front Street. Firefighters are investigating the incident as arson, and some staff at KSBW are concerned that this could be part of the country-wide increase of attacks on the press.</p><p data-block-key=\"4oibp\">KSBW <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=du8h4QRCTks\">covered</a> the incident on air, showing footage of the van, with a badly burnt door and passenger side.</p><p data-block-key=\"b3gwa\">“They know it's arson but nothing more than that, so we can't draw the conclusion but certainly makes you think today that it was an intentional act based on something we've reported,” KSBW President and General Manager Joseph W. Heston said on Oct. 29.</p><p data-block-key=\"77v41\">Heston told Freedom of the Press Foundation that there were no witnesses of the incident, and that the Salinas police department had closed the case without identifying any suspects.</p><p data-block-key=\"luztn\"><i>This article was re-categorized with the creation of a specific</i> <a href=\"https://pressfreedomtracker.us/equipment-damage/\"><i>Equipment Damage</i></a><i> category.</i></p></div>\n<div class=\"block-video\">\n\n<figure class=\"inline-media full-width\">\n <div style=\"padding-bottom: 56.25%;\" class=\"responsive-object\">\n <iframe width=\"480\" height=\"270\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/du8h4QRCTks?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen></iframe>\n</div>\n\n \n <figcaption class=\"inline-media__caption\">\n \n \n <p>KSBW</p>\n \n </figcaption>\n \n</figure>\n</div>",
"introduction": "",
"teaser": "",
"teaser_image": null,
"primary_video": null,
"image_caption": "",
"arresting_authority": null,
"arrest_status": null,
"release_date": null,
"detention_date": null,
"unnecessary_use_of_force": false,
"case_number": null,
"case_type": null,
"status_of_seized_equipment": null,
"is_search_warrant_obtained": false,
"actor": "private individual",
"border_point": null,
"target_us_citizenship_status": null,
"denial_of_entry": false,
"stopped_previously": false,
"did_authorities_ask_for_device_access": null,
"did_authorities_ask_about_work": null,
"assailant": null,
"was_journalist_targeted": null,
"charged_under_espionage_act": false,
"subpoena_type": null,
"name_of_business": null,
"third_party_business": null,
"legal_order_venue": null,
"status_of_prior_restraint": null,
"mistakenly_released_materials": false,
"links": [],
"equipment_seized": [],
"equipment_broken": [
{
"quantity": 1,
"equipment": "vehicle"
}
],
"state": {
"name": "California",
"abbreviation": "CA"
},
"updates": [],
"case_statuses": [],
"workers_whose_communications_were_obtained": [],
"target_nationality": [],
"targeted_institutions": [
"KSBW"
],
"tags": [
"arson"
],
"politicians_or_public_figures_involved": [],
"authors": [],
"categories": [
"Equipment Damage"
],
"targeted_journalists": [],
"subpoena_statuses": [],
"type_of_denial": []
},
{
"title": "CNN's New York headquarters evacuated after pipe bomb found in mailroom",
"url": "https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/cnns-new-york-headquarters-evacuated-after-pipe-bomb-found-mailroom/",
"first_published_at": "2018-10-24T21:04:55.634876Z",
"last_published_at": "2023-11-22T20:17:44.459051Z",
"latest_revision_created_at": "2023-11-22T20:17:44.270136Z",
"date": "2018-10-24",
"exact_date_unknown": false,
"city": "New York",
"longitude": -74.00597,
"latitude": 40.71427,
"body": "<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"9w4k8\">On Oct. 24, 2018, CNN’s New York bureau was evacuated after a pipe bomb was found in the mailroom of the Time Warner Center, which houses CNN’s New York offices.</p><p data-block-key=\"zqvv3\">The package containing the bomb, which also contained an unknown white powder that authorities later determined was part of the bomb, was addressed to “John Brenan, Time Warner Center (CNN).” John Brennan, the former CIA director, is now a paid commentator on MSNBC but has previously appeared as a guest on CNN.</p><p data-block-key=\"crrzb\">Authorities said that the bomb sent to CNN was similar to explosive devices sent to former president Barack Obama, former vice president Joe Biden, former attorney general Eric Holder, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, Democratic congresswoman Maxine Waters, and major Democratic donor George Soros.</p><p data-block-key=\"9yujt\">Shortly after 10 a.m. on Oct. 24, as CNN’s Jim Sciutto and Poppy Harlow were anchoring a live segment about the suspicious packages mailed to the Obamas and Clinton, a fire alarm went off inside the CNN newsroom.</p><p data-block-key=\"mzrmq\">“There’s a fire alarm, you might have heard it in the background, we’re going to find out what the latest is here at CNN, and we’re going to be right back,” Sciutto said.</p></div>\n<div class=\"block-raw_html\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Time Warner Center – where CNN's New York offices are located – was just evacuated. The alarm went off as <a href=\"https://twitter.com/jimsciutto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@jimsciutto</a> and <a href=\"https://twitter.com/PoppyHarlowCNN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@PoppyHarlowCNN</a> were on air reporting the packages sent to the Clintons and Obamas. <a href=\"https://twitter.com/ShimonPro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@ShimonPro</a> reporting it was over "a suspicious package." <a href=\"https://t.co/EYBsytil0o\">pic.twitter.com/EYBsytil0o</a></p>— 💀andrew👻kaczynski🎃 (@KFILE) <a href=\"https://twitter.com/KFILE/status/1055102161661636608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 24, 2018</a></blockquote>\r\n<script async src=\"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"></script></div>\n<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"ut4xv\">As CNN’s New York bureau <a href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/24/media/cnn-coverage-of-evacuation/index.html\">evacuated</a>, the network switched its broadcast to the Washington bureau. But Poppy, Harlow, and other CNN reporters in New York were soon back on the air, using cellphones to offer live reports from the street outside the Time Warner Center.</p><p data-block-key=\"6egyh\">The NYPD bomb squad removed the device from the Time Warner Center mailroom shortly before noon, but CNN employees were not allowed to re-enter the building until the NYPD had finished sweeping every floor in the building for the white powder. Finally, CNN employees were able to return to their desks around 3:30 p.m.</p><p data-block-key=\"z1bjp\">President Trump criticized the pipe bomb attacks in very broad terms during an unrelated bill-signing ceremony at the White House on Oct. 24.</p><p data-block-key=\"438ji\">“We have to unify,” he said. “We have to come together. Acts or threats of political violence of any kind have no place in the United States of America. This egregious conduct is abhorrent to everything we hold dear. We’re extremely angry, upset, unhappy about what we witnessed this morning and we will get to the bottom of it.”</p><p data-block-key=\"u1vxw\">The president did not mention CNN or any of the other bomb targets by name.</p><p data-block-key=\"u0c8q\">“There is a total and complete lack of understanding at the White House about the seriousness of their continued attacks on the media,” CNN chief executive Jeff Zucker said in a statement released a few hours later. “The President, and especially the White House Press Secretary, should understand their words matter. Thus far, they have shown no comprehension of that.”</p></div>",
"introduction": "",
"teaser": "",
"teaser_image": "https://media.pressfreedomtracker.us/media/images/poppy_sciutto_anchor_outside.2e16d0ba.fill-1330x880.jpg",
"primary_video": null,
"image_caption": "<p data-block-key=\"lepw5\">When a pipe bomb forced the evacuation of CNN's New York bureau, anchors Poppy Harlow and Jim Sciutto used cellphones to report on the situation from a street corner outside CNN's offices.</p>",
"arresting_authority": null,
"arrest_status": null,
"release_date": null,
"detention_date": null,
"unnecessary_use_of_force": false,
"case_number": null,
"case_type": null,
"status_of_seized_equipment": null,
"is_search_warrant_obtained": false,
"actor": null,
"border_point": null,
"target_us_citizenship_status": null,
"denial_of_entry": false,
"stopped_previously": false,
"did_authorities_ask_for_device_access": null,
"did_authorities_ask_about_work": null,
"assailant": null,
"was_journalist_targeted": null,
"charged_under_espionage_act": false,
"subpoena_type": null,
"name_of_business": null,
"third_party_business": null,
"legal_order_venue": null,
"status_of_prior_restraint": null,
"mistakenly_released_materials": false,
"links": [],
"equipment_seized": [],
"equipment_broken": [],
"state": {
"name": "New York",
"abbreviation": "NY"
},
"updates": [
"(2018-10-25 11:51:00+00:00) Trump criticizes media after attempted bombing",
"(2019-08-05 12:50:00+00:00) Man who mailed explosive devices to CNN, others sentenced to 20 years in jail",
"(2018-10-29 13:00:00+00:00) Second pipe bomb sent to CNN"
],
"case_statuses": [],
"workers_whose_communications_were_obtained": [],
"target_nationality": [],
"targeted_institutions": [
"CNN"
],
"tags": [
"bomb / bomb threat"
],
"politicians_or_public_figures_involved": [],
"authors": [],
"categories": [
"Other Incident"
],
"targeted_journalists": [],
"subpoena_statuses": [],
"type_of_denial": []
},
{
"title": "Man shot after breaking into lobby of local TV station in Washington, D.C.",
"url": "https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/man-shot-after-breaking-lobby-local-tv-station-washington-dc/",
"first_published_at": "2018-10-25T17:12:58.313311Z",
"last_published_at": "2023-12-04T22:27:03.367944Z",
"latest_revision_created_at": "2023-12-04T22:27:03.166627Z",
"date": "2018-10-22",
"exact_date_unknown": false,
"city": "Washington",
"longitude": -77.03637,
"latitude": 38.89511,
"body": "<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"sd0xy\">On Oct. 22, 2018, an unarmed man was <a href=\"http://www.fox5dc.com/news/fox-5-security-shoots-man-attempting-to-break-into-building\">shot</a> while attempting to break into the WTTG Fox 5 building in Washington, D.C.</p><p data-block-key=\"0zw7b\">The man was recorded by building surveillance cameras kicking and breaking two glass doors leading to the Fox 5 lobby. After entering the lobby, he was shot once by an armed security guard.</p><p data-block-key=\"kvpgq\">Reporters working in the Fox 5 building tweeted that everyone in the newsroom was safe. </p></div>\n<div class=\"block-tweet\"><div class=\"tweet-embed\">\n <div>\n <blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">VIDEO: Surveillance footage shows man kicking down glass door to get into FOX 5 building before he was shot by armed security guard <a href=\"https://t.co/HkgXJJmBRH\">https://t.co/HkgXJJmBRH</a> <a href=\"https://twitter.com/hashtag/fox5dc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#fox5dc</a> <a href=\"https://t.co/7AuxNB70Hw\">pic.twitter.com/7AuxNB70Hw</a></p>— FOX 5 DC (@fox5dc) <a href=\"https://twitter.com/fox5dc/status/1054475717117992966?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 22, 2018</a></blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"></script>\n\n\n</div>\n\n</div>\n</div>\n<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"0kgf2\">Fox 5 reports that the man had leveled threats against police and Fox 5 executives in the past. </p><p data-block-key=\"rbahk\">Police said that the man survived the shooting and was taken to George Washington University Hospital for treatment. He has been charged with second degree burglary.</p></div>",
"introduction": "",
"teaser": "",
"teaser_image": "https://media.pressfreedomtracker.us/media/images/Screen_Shot_2018-10-25_at_1.15.31.2e16d0ba.fill-1330x880.png",
"primary_video": null,
"image_caption": "<p data-block-key=\"k6spd\">A screengrab from a surveillance video shows a man smashing glass doors to break in to the lobby of the local TV station Fox 5, in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 22, 2018. </p>",
"arresting_authority": null,
"arrest_status": null,
"release_date": null,
"detention_date": null,
"unnecessary_use_of_force": false,
"case_number": null,
"case_type": null,
"status_of_seized_equipment": null,
"is_search_warrant_obtained": false,
"actor": "private individual",
"border_point": null,
"target_us_citizenship_status": null,
"denial_of_entry": false,
"stopped_previously": false,
"did_authorities_ask_for_device_access": null,
"did_authorities_ask_about_work": null,
"assailant": null,
"was_journalist_targeted": null,
"charged_under_espionage_act": false,
"subpoena_type": null,
"name_of_business": null,
"third_party_business": null,
"legal_order_venue": null,
"status_of_prior_restraint": null,
"mistakenly_released_materials": false,
"links": [],
"equipment_seized": [],
"equipment_broken": [
{
"quantity": 1,
"equipment": "building"
}
],
"state": {
"name": "District of Columbia",
"abbreviation": "DC"
},
"updates": [
"(2019-07-02 00:00:00+00:00) Man who broke into Washington, D.C. TV station sentenced to probation"
],
"case_statuses": [],
"workers_whose_communications_were_obtained": [],
"target_nationality": [],
"targeted_institutions": [
"WTTG"
],
"tags": [],
"politicians_or_public_figures_involved": [],
"authors": [],
"categories": [
"Equipment Damage"
],
"targeted_journalists": [],
"subpoena_statuses": [],
"type_of_denial": []
},
{
"title": "Filmmaker arrested while covering West Virginia pipeline protest",
"url": "https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/filmmaker-arrested-while-covering-west-virginia-pipeline-protest/",
"first_published_at": "2025-02-24T20:29:08.567135Z",
"last_published_at": "2025-02-24T20:29:08.567135Z",
"latest_revision_created_at": "2025-02-24T20:08:39.646737Z",
"date": "2018-10-21",
"exact_date_unknown": false,
"city": "Beckley",
"longitude": -81.18816,
"latitude": 37.77817,
"body": "<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"f4joy\">Independent filmmaker Laura Saunders was arrested on Oct. 21, 2018, while reporting on a pipeline construction protest in Beckley, West Virginia. Trespassing and obstruction charges against her were later dropped.</p><p data-block-key=\"1mrk0\">Saunders told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker that she was one of several reporters and local TV stations on the scene, filming demonstrators as they held up signs, blocked the entrance to the Mountain Valley Pipeline pipe yard and spoke with private security.</p><p data-block-key=\"47r60\">When officers with the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office arrived, Saunders said, they negotiated with protesters about where people could be on the property. She said that officers also began writing down the license plates of cars that weren’t parked on the pipeline property, and she questioned them about it.</p><p data-block-key=\"bc45v\">“I have a suspicion that this was what put me on their radar, but I felt that this was an important question to ask — especially on camera,” Saunders told the Tracker. She said they refused to answer.</p><p data-block-key=\"cb395\">The scene quieted down until a group of demonstrators walked into the middle of the road to stop a pipe truck from moving, with some locking themselves to the truck.</p><p data-block-key=\"b5o8n\">Saunders told the Tracker she had been moving back and forth to film from different angles, but went to record the truck lockdown. Law enforcement quickly began corralling people, she said.</p><p data-block-key=\"7s45c\">“I was filming from a distance when the arrests began happening,” she said. “There were some violent arrests. One woman was basically carried by her arms and legs out of sight from everyone. When a group of people crossed the road to get a line of sight on her, I did that too.”</p><p data-block-key=\"ev8t4\">While she was filming that scene, Saunders said sheriff’s deputies pointed at her and said, “You’re coming in.” She said they also pulled out another woman who had been taking photographs.</p><p data-block-key=\"8ifsk\">“I didn’t get read my rights,” Saunders said. “I was put in the back of a police car with handcuffs on really tight and then taken in to be booked.”</p><p data-block-key=\"530fn\">According to Saunders, one officer, who was not her arresting officer, instructed the processing officer to “give them all the same charges.” Saunders told the Tracker that the person processed before her had been charged with battery. But she persuaded the officer to wait for her paperwork to come in before processing her charges and was eventually moved to a cell.</p><p data-block-key=\"3gegm\">Later that evening, she was released on charges of trespassing and obstruction after she paid a $2,000 bond, according to court records reviewed by the Tracker.</p><p data-block-key=\"aub4h\">Saunders said that she had been filming protests of the construction of the pipeline since April, but until that day had only received one warning. She added that she didn’t return to covering the pipeline protests at first, because she was nervous about risking future interaction with law enforcement.</p><p data-block-key=\"clbta\">“There’s the psychological stress and monetary concerns and the risk of having multiple charges against me,” she told the Tracker. “I thought I had a sense of things until this happened.”</p><p data-block-key=\"3d42q\">According to court records, the charges against Saunders were dropped on March 19, 2019, a few days before she was scheduled to go to trial, and the case was closed three days later. Saunders told the Tracker she then resumed covering the protests.</p></div>",
"introduction": "",
"teaser": "",
"teaser_image": "https://media.pressfreedomtracker.us/media/images/2019-10-09T100250Z_1112176916_RC1.2e16d0ba.fill-1330x880.jpg",
"primary_video": null,
"image_caption": "<p data-block-key=\"dyspz\">A landowner’s sign denouncing the Mountain Valley Pipeline near Elliston, Virginia, in September 2019. Independent filmmaker Laura Saunders was arrested while covering protests against the pipeline in October 2018.</p>",
"arresting_authority": "Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office",
"arrest_status": "arrested and released",
"release_date": null,
"detention_date": "2018-10-21",
"unnecessary_use_of_force": true,
"case_number": null,
"case_type": null,
"status_of_seized_equipment": null,
"is_search_warrant_obtained": false,
"actor": null,
"border_point": null,
"target_us_citizenship_status": null,
"denial_of_entry": false,
"stopped_previously": false,
"did_authorities_ask_for_device_access": null,
"did_authorities_ask_about_work": null,
"assailant": null,
"was_journalist_targeted": null,
"charged_under_espionage_act": false,
"subpoena_type": null,
"name_of_business": null,
"third_party_business": null,
"legal_order_venue": null,
"status_of_prior_restraint": null,
"mistakenly_released_materials": false,
"links": [],
"equipment_seized": [],
"equipment_broken": [],
"state": {
"name": "West Virginia",
"abbreviation": "WV"
},
"updates": [],
"case_statuses": [],
"workers_whose_communications_were_obtained": [],
"target_nationality": [],
"targeted_institutions": [],
"tags": [
"environmentalism",
"protest"
],
"politicians_or_public_figures_involved": [],
"authors": [],
"categories": [
"Arrest/Criminal Charge"
],
"targeted_journalists": [
"Laura Saunders (Independent)"
],
"subpoena_statuses": null,
"type_of_denial": []
},
{
"title": "Trump fondly recalls how congressman Greg Gianforte body-slammed a journalist",
"url": "https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/trump-fondly-recalls-how-congressman-greg-gianforte-assaulted-journalist/",
"first_published_at": "2018-10-19T18:30:36.454788Z",
"last_published_at": "2024-03-26T14:42:21.845871Z",
"latest_revision_created_at": "2024-03-26T14:42:21.695049Z",
"date": "2018-10-18",
"exact_date_unknown": false,
"city": "Missoula",
"longitude": -113.994,
"latitude": 46.87215,
"body": "<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"anlcx\">During a rally in Montana on October 18, 2018, President Donald Trump <a href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/18/trump-greg-gianforte-assault-guardian-ben-jacobs\">praised</a> Republican congressman Greg Gianforte for physically assaulting a journalist in May 2017.</p><p data-block-key=\"i4egv\">On May 24, the day before a special election for Montana’s open congressional seat, then-candidate <a href=\"/all-incidents/gop-congressional-candidate-assaults-guardian-us-reporter/\">Gianforte physically assaulted Guardian U.S. reporter Ben Jacobs</a>, after Jacobs tried to ask him a question about a Republican healthcare proposal. Jacobs suffered minor injuries and the police were called. Although Gianforte <a href=\"https://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/crime/details-of-gianforte-investigation-released-to-public/article_67894be6-d1e6-5ad6-a8c9-45fa44306b04.html\">reportedly lied</a> to the police about the circumstances of the assault, eyewitnesses confirmed that Gianforte had instigated it and he was charged with misdemeanor assault. A Fox News reporter who witnessed the assault later <a href=\"https://www.foxnews.com/politics/greg-gianforte-fox-news-team-witnesses-gop-house-candidate-body-slam-reporter\">described</a> it:</p></div>\n<div class=\"block-blockquote\">\n\n<blockquote class=\"blockquote\" cite=\"https://www.foxnews.com/politics/greg-gianforte-fox-news-team-witnesses-gop-house-candidate-body-slam-reporter\">\n\t<div class=\"rich-text\"><p data-block-key=\"c8r0k\">At that point, Gianforte grabbed Jacobs by the neck with both hands and slammed him into the ground behind him. Faith, Keith and I watched in disbelief as Gianforte then began punching the reporter. As Gianforte moved on top of Jacobs, he began yelling something to the effect of, "I'm sick and tired of this!"</p></div>\n\t\n\t\t<cite class=\"blockquote__citation\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"blockquote__link text-link\" href=\"https://www.foxnews.com/politics/greg-gianforte-fox-news-team-witnesses-gop-house-candidate-body-slam-reporter\">\n\t\t\t\t<p data-block-key=\"xb4fb\">Fox News report</p>\n\t\t\t</a>\n\t\t</cite>\n\t\n</blockquote>\n</div>\n<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"rynev\">The day after assaulting Jacobs, Gianforte won the special election. He was sworn into Congress on June 21, 2018. Gianforte ultimately pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor assault and was sentenced to community service. He never served any jail time. As part of a civil settlement with Jacobs, Gianforte also agreed to issue a public apology and to sit for an interview with Jacobs (which he never did, according to Jacobs). He also agreed to donate $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists, which the organization earmarked to fund the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker.</p><p data-block-key=\"iy8gu\">On Oct. 18, Gianforte introduced Trump at a rally in Montana. Trump thanked Gianforte for the introduction and then <a href=\"https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/montana-rally-president-trump-praises-greg-gianforte-body/story?id=58596529\">fondly recalled</a> the congressman's assault on Jacobs.</p></div>\n<div class=\"block-raw_html\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-lang=\"en\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">At Montana rally, Pres. Trump praises Greg Gianforte, who made national headlines during the GOP primaries for assaulting a reporter.<br><br>"Any guy that can do a body slam, he is my type!" Trump said to cheers. <a href=\"https://t.co/pej6aXuf6b\">https://t.co/pej6aXuf6b</a> <a href=\"https://t.co/ejaSSairnK\">pic.twitter.com/ejaSSairnK</a></p>— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) <a href=\"https://twitter.com/ABCPolitics/status/1053129811898462209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 19, 2018</a></blockquote>\r\n<script async src=\"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"></script></div>\n<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"8ptky\">“Greg is smart, and by the way, never wrestle him,” Trump said as the crowd laughed and cheered. “You understand that?”</p><p data-block-key=\"r6lhq\">“Any guy that can do a body-slam, he’s my kind of guy,” Trump continued, as he mimed picking someone up and throwing them on the ground.</p><p data-block-key=\"sydq4\">Trump went on to describe how he reacted after learning that Gianforte, whom he had endorsed in the Montana special election, had assaulted a reporter.</p><p data-block-key=\"lxfvl\">“I shouldn’t say this, but there’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Trump said. “So I was in Rome with a lot of the leaders from other countries, talking about all sorts of things. And I heard about it — and we endorsed Greg very early — but I heard he had body-slammed a reporter!”</p><p data-block-key=\"85a24\">At this point, Trump pointed his finger at the journalists in the press pen covering his rally.</p><p data-block-key=\"aaeg3\">“And he was way up,” Trump continued, referring to polls that showed Gianforte was the front-runner. “And he was way up, and I said — this was like the day of the election or just before — and I said, ‘Oh, this is terrible, he’s going to lose the election.’ Then I said, ‘Well, wait a minute, I know Montana very well. I think it might help him!’ And it did.”</p><p data-block-key=\"vji4s\"><a href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/19/trump-greg-gianforte-guardian-reporter-assault\">Along with other journalists and press freedom advocates</a>, Guardian US editor John Mulholland condemned Trump’s remarks.</p><p data-block-key=\"vz1ko\">“The president of the United States tonight applauded the assault on an American journalist who works for the Guardian,” he said in a statement. “To celebrate an attack on a journalist who was simply doing his job is an attack on the first amendment by someone who has taken an oath to defend it. In the aftermath of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, it runs the risk of inviting other assaults on journalists both here and across the world where they often face far greater threats. We hope decent people will denounce these comments and that the president will see fit to apologize for them.”</p></div>",
"introduction": "",
"teaser": "",
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"image_caption": "<p data-block-key=\"vfu59\">Trump mimes throwing someone to the ground during a rally in Missoula, Montana, on October 18, 2018. The president fondly recalled how Greg Gianforte, Montana's Republican congressman, had body-slammed a journalist.</p>",
"arresting_authority": null,
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"state": {
"name": "Montana",
"abbreviation": "MT"
},
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"target_nationality": [],
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"tags": [
"Donald Trump"
],
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"authors": [],
"categories": [
"Other Incident"
],
"targeted_journalists": [
"Ben Jacobs (The Guardian)"
],
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},
{
"title": "California orders reporters not to write about sealed search warrant",
"url": "https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/california-orders-reporters-not-write-about-sealed-search-warrant/",
"first_published_at": "2018-12-07T19:20:31.864499Z",
"last_published_at": "2024-02-29T19:56:00.125136Z",
"latest_revision_created_at": "2024-02-29T19:56:00.051000Z",
"date": "2018-10-17",
"exact_date_unknown": false,
"city": "Orange County",
"longitude": null,
"latitude": null,
"body": "<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"bomi8\">On Oct. 17, 2018, Orange County Superior Court judge Gregory Jones ordered members of the media not to report on a sealed search warrant that had previously been made available to the public—an unconstitutional prior restraint. Four days later, he rescinded the order and unsealed the search warrant materials.</p><p data-block-key=\"tmxfe\">The search warrant was executed in January 2018 against Grant Robicheaux, a prominent surgeon suspected of sexually assaulting multiple women. Like most search warrants in California, it was initially filed under seal but was automatically unsealed and made available to the public shortly after it was carried out.</p><p data-block-key=\"ds16b\">Eight months later, in September 2018, police arrested Robicheaux and his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley, and the Orange County district attorney Tony Rackauckas charged them with sexually assaulting two women. After the arrests were announced, a number of journalists found the January search warrant materials (which were now available to the public) and reported on their contents. In response, both prosecutors and Robicheaux’s defense team asked a judge to re-seal the search warrant materials, which he did.</p><p data-block-key=\"8n03f\">The next month, as The Associated Press reported, Rackauckas announced that five more women had accused Robicheaux and Riley of sexual assault. At a <a href=\"https://www.ocregister.com/2018/10/17/newport-beach-surgeon-and-girlfriend-plea-not-guilty-to-drugging-and-raping-women-while-7-more-charges-added/\">court hearing</a> on Oct. 17, Rackauckas’ office formally filed <a href=\"https://www.apnews.com/e9be6cf93cf64ef894e3ce36840bc92c\">additional charges</a> against Robicheaux and Riley, who pleaded not guilty.</p><p data-block-key=\"jayfz\">According to the OC Register, outside the hearing, Orange County supervisor Todd Spitzer — who is challenging Rackauckas in the election for Orange County district attorney — held a press conference to criticize Rackauckas for taking so long to arrest Robicheaux and Riley. Speaking to a group of reporters, Spitzer said Rackauckas should have had Robicheaux and Riley arrested back in January 2018, right after the search warrant was executed. To prove his point, Spitzer and his assistant handed out copies of the January 2018 search warrant materials to reporters.</p><p data-block-key=\"8aeja\">Rackauckas objected to Spitzer’s stunt, since the search warrant materials were supposed to be sealed from the public, and the district attorney’s office asked judge Jones do something about it. (Jones was not the judge who originally ordered the search warrant sealed, but he was the judge presiding over the hearing.)</p><p data-block-key=\"mk3gc\">Jones called reporters back into the courtroom and told them to return the copies of the search warrants that they had received. He then told them to remind their news organizations that the search warrant was sealed and they should not publish it.</p><p data-block-key=\"nf8xb\">The Orange County Register and the AP challenged Jones’ order, arguing that it amounted to an unconstitutional prior restraint on the press. On Oct. 21, Jones <a href=\"https://apnews.com/4dbedcca07414ee1b2ed98de2e2a0c24\">unsealed</a> the search warrant, <a href=\"https://www.ocregister.com/2018/10/23/judge-reverses-order-that-limited-medias-reporting-on-case-involving-newport-beach-surgeons-alleged-sex-assaults/\">finding</a> that it could not be re-sealed once it had already been made available to the public.</p></div>",
"introduction": "",
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"status_of_prior_restraint": "dropped",
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"state": {
"name": "California",
"abbreviation": "CA"
},
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"target_nationality": [],
"targeted_institutions": [
"Media"
],
"tags": [
"public records"
],
"politicians_or_public_figures_involved": [],
"authors": [],
"categories": [
"Prior Restraint"
],
"targeted_journalists": [],
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},
{
"title": "ICE subpoenas law journal editor who published copy of leaked ICE memo",
"url": "https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/ice-subpoenas-law-journal-editor-who-published-copy-leaked-ice-memo/",
"first_published_at": "2018-10-29T20:50:30.706755Z",
"last_published_at": "2025-02-06T20:04:12.914244Z",
"latest_revision_created_at": "2025-02-06T20:04:12.810234Z",
"date": "2018-10-16",
"exact_date_unknown": false,
"city": "Fairfax",
"longitude": -77.30637,
"latitude": 38.84622,
"body": "<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"4ritl\">The Department of Homeland Security subpoenaed the editor of an immigration law journal in an attempt to identify the source of a leaked internal memo from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.</p><p data-block-key=\"p9tkv\">Daniel Kowalski is a Colorado-based immigration attorney and the editor of “Bender’s Immigration Bulletin,” an immigration law journal published on LexisNexis. In July 2018, Kowalski published a leaked copy of an internal ICE memo about changes to the government's approach toward asylum claims.</p><p data-block-key=\"jfmhb\">On Oct. 16, 2018, Kowalski <a href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/ICE-subpoenas-immigration-lawyer-in-leak-hunt-13314928.php\">received a subpoena</a> from the Department of Homeland Security ordering him to produce:</p></div>\n<div class=\"block-blockquote\">\n\n<blockquote class=\"blockquote\" cite=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5023914-DHS-summons-to-Daniel-Kowalski.html\">\n\t<div class=\"rich-text\"><p data-block-key=\"ldfc7\">all information related to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) memorandum with the subject title of “Litigating Domestic Violence-Based Persecution Claims Following Matter of a A-B-“ dated July 11, 2018; including, but not limited to: (1) date of receipt, (2) method of receipt, (3) source of document, and (4) contact information for the source of the document.</p></div>\n\t\n\t\t<cite class=\"blockquote__citation\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"blockquote__link text-link\" href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5023914-DHS-summons-to-Daniel-Kowalski.html\">\n\t\t\t\t<p data-block-key=\"lsid8\">DHS summons to Daniel Kowalski</p>\n\t\t\t</a>\n\t\t</cite>\n\t\n</blockquote>\n</div>\n<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"0xs06\">The subpoena also includes a gag provision, which states: “You are requested not to disclose the existence of this summons for an indefinite period of time. Any such disclosure will impede this investigation and thereby interfere with the enforcement of federal law.</p><p data-block-key=\"65q6b\">The subpoena orders Kowalski to produce the requested material by Oct. 30, 2018, to a special agent in ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility, suggesting that there is an active internal investigation into the source of the leaked memo. </p><p data-block-key=\"wm84r\">Kowalski told Freedom of the Press Foundation that he intends to ignore the subpoena, which he believes was not properly served on him.</p><p data-block-key=\"xxmhm\">“I’m planning on ignoring it,” he said. “They also haven’t served me in person; they just faxed and emailed it, so technically they’d need to physically find me.”</p><p data-block-key=\"a2r7c\">If Kowalski does not comply with the subpoena, ICE can try to get a federal judge to compel him to provide information about the source of the memo. But Kowalski is confident that no judge would compel him to comply with the subpoena.</p><p data-block-key=\"ianor\">Unlike subpoenas issued by federal courts, the subpoena to Kowalski was a summons issued directly by DHS, in accordance with a federal law (<a href=\"https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/19/1509\">19 U.S.C. § 1509</a>) that allows DHS to issue summons in connection with investigations concerning the importation of merchandise.</p><p data-block-key=\"wo16n\">ICE’s sister agency, Customs & Border Protection, previously cited the same law to issue a summons to Twitter last year. The summons, which <a href=\"https://theintercept.com/2017/04/06/the-u-s-government-is-trying-to-unmask-an-anonymous-anti-trump-twitter-account/\">demanded</a> that Twitter reveal the user behind an alt-government account, was later withdrawn, and the DHS Office of Inspector General <a href=\"https://www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/Mga/2017/oig-18-18-nov17.pdf\">chastised</a> CBP for misusing the statute.</p></div>",
"introduction": "",
"teaser": "",
"teaser_image": "https://media.pressfreedomtracker.us/media/images/Screen_Shot_2018-10-29_at_4.48.47.2e16d0ba.fill-1330x880.png",
"primary_video": null,
"image_caption": "",
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"is_search_warrant_obtained": false,
"actor": null,
"border_point": null,
"target_us_citizenship_status": null,
"denial_of_entry": false,
"stopped_previously": false,
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"did_authorities_ask_about_work": null,
"assailant": null,
"was_journalist_targeted": null,
"charged_under_espionage_act": false,
"subpoena_type": "journalist communications or work product",
"name_of_business": null,
"third_party_business": null,
"legal_order_venue": "Federal",
"status_of_prior_restraint": null,
"mistakenly_released_materials": false,
"links": [],
"equipment_seized": [],
"equipment_broken": [],
"state": {
"name": "Virginia",
"abbreviation": "VA"
},
"updates": [
"(2020-02-20 10:24:00+00:00) ICE subpoena for law journal editor who published copy of leaked memo dropped"
],
"case_statuses": [],
"workers_whose_communications_were_obtained": [],
"target_nationality": [],
"targeted_institutions": [],
"tags": [
"ICE",
"immigration"
],
"politicians_or_public_figures_involved": [],
"authors": [],
"categories": [
"Subpoena/Legal Order"
],
"targeted_journalists": [
"Daniel Kowalski (Bender's Immigration Bulletin)"
],
"subpoena_statuses": [
"dropped"
],
"type_of_denial": []
},
{
"title": "Treasury employee charged with leaking details of Manafort's suspicious bank transactions to BuzzFeed News",
"url": "https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/treasury-employee-charged-leaking-details-manaforts-suspicious-bank-transactions-buzzfeed-news/",
"first_published_at": "2018-10-18T18:14:05.188636Z",
"last_published_at": "2024-01-18T18:59:04.132469Z",
"latest_revision_created_at": "2024-01-18T18:59:04.008488Z",
"date": "2018-10-16",
"exact_date_unknown": false,
"city": "Washington",
"longitude": -77.03637,
"latitude": 38.89511,
"body": "<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"ybbgp\">Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards, an official in the U.S. Treasury’s financial crimes division (FinCEN), was arrested on Oct. 16, 2018, and charged with giving details about suspicious banking transactions to a reporter at BuzzFeed News.</p><p data-block-key=\"6ej6v\">From October 2017 through October 2018, BuzzFeed News has published a series of investigations into suspicious banking transactions made by Russian diplomats and by Trump associates, including former campaign chairman Paul Manafort. These BuzzFeed News investigations were largely based on so-called “Suspicious Activity Reports” — confidential reports that financial institutions are required to file to alert FinCEN of potential money laundering and other suspicious banking transactions.</p><p data-block-key=\"t1pri\">Although SARs are not classified, it is illegal to disclose them without authorization:</p></div>\n<div class=\"block-blockquote\">\n\n<blockquote class=\"blockquote\" cite=\"https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/31/1020.320\">\n\t<div class=\"rich-text\"><p data-block-key=\"v5m8h\">A Federal, State, local, territorial, or Tribal government authority, or any director, officer, employee, or agent of any of the foregoing, shall not disclose a SAR, or any information that would reveal the existence of a SAR, except as necessary to fulfill official duties consistent with Title II of the Bank Secrecy Act.</p></div>\n\t\n\t\t<cite class=\"blockquote__citation\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"blockquote__link text-link\" href=\"https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/31/1020.320\">\n\t\t\t\t<p data-block-key=\"35w0u\">31 CFR § 1020.320(e)(2)</p>\n\t\t\t</a>\n\t\t</cite>\n\t\n</blockquote>\n</div>\n<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"4fsei\">On Oct. 16, 2018, Edwards was <a href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/17/politics/treasury-official-charged-with-leaking-docs-related-to-russia-manafort/index.html\">arrested</a> and <a href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/senior-treasury-employee-charged-with-leaking-documents-related-to-russia-probe/2018/10/17/74f67faa-d226-11e8-83d6-291fcead2ab1_story.html\">charged</a> with one count of unauthorized disclosures of SARs and one count of conspiracy to make unauthorized disclosures of SARs. Each count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.</p><p data-block-key=\"e1pek\">The <a href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5005579-Complaint.html\">criminal complaint</a> against Edwards details the FBI’s investigation of her communications with Jason Leopold, an investigative reporter at BuzzFeed News. Although the complaint does not explicitly name Leopold or BuzzFeed, it specifically references articles written by him, making clear that Leopold is the journalist identified in the complaint as "Reporter-1."</p><p data-block-key=\"au0az\">According to the complaint, federal investigators used search warrants to obtain access to both Edwards’ personal email account, which allegedly revealed emails between her and Leopold, and her cellphone records, which allegedly revealed calls and text messages sent between her and Leopold. The complaint also states that federal investigators were able to determine that she and Leopold communicated over an encrypted messaging app, though it is not clear how they were able to do so.</p><p data-block-key=\"6usr2\">FBI agents finally seized Edwards' phone and placed her under arrest after questioning her on October 16 about her communications with Leopold. Once they seized her phone, investigators were able to read some of the encrypted messages that she had exchanged with Leopold.</p><p data-block-key=\"bwu5u\">The FBI investigation of Edwards may also have exposed another one of Leopold's sources. This second source is referred to in the complaint as “CC-1” and identified as Edwards’ supervisor at FinCEN. According to the complaint, federal investigators seized this person’s phone records and found that they had also exchanged text messages, phone calls, and encrypted messages with the journalist. Unlike Edwards, this second source does not currently face any criminal charges.</p></div>",
"introduction": "",
"teaser": "",
"teaser_image": "https://media.pressfreedomtracker.us/media/images/Screen_Shot_2018-10-18_at_2.10.02.2e16d0ba.fill-1330x880.png",
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"status_of_seized_equipment": null,
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"actor": null,
"border_point": null,
"target_us_citizenship_status": null,
"denial_of_entry": false,
"stopped_previously": false,
"did_authorities_ask_for_device_access": null,
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"assailant": null,
"was_journalist_targeted": null,
"charged_under_espionage_act": false,
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"name_of_business": null,
"third_party_business": null,
"legal_order_venue": null,
"status_of_prior_restraint": null,
"mistakenly_released_materials": false,
"links": [],
"equipment_seized": [],
"equipment_broken": [],
"state": {
"name": "District of Columbia",
"abbreviation": "DC"
},
"updates": [
"(2018-10-17 17:00:00+00:00) Edwards released on bond",
"(2021-06-03 10:26:00+00:00) Former Treasury official sentenced to six months in prison for leaking records to BuzzFeed reporter",
"(2022-01-24 13:10:00+00:00) Former Treasury official who leaked records to BuzzFeed reporter released from prison",
"(2020-01-13 16:08:00+00:00) Former Treasury employee pleads guilty to leaking information to a journalist"
],
"case_statuses": [],
"workers_whose_communications_were_obtained": [
"Jason Leopold (BuzzFeed News)"
],
"target_nationality": [],
"targeted_institutions": [],
"tags": [
"Department of Justice"
],
"politicians_or_public_figures_involved": [],
"authors": [],
"categories": [
"Leak Case"
],
"targeted_journalists": [],
"subpoena_statuses": [],
"type_of_denial": []
},
{
"title": "Judge orders LA Times not to publish descriptions of defendant in murder trial",
"url": "https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/judge-orders-la-times-not-publish-descriptions-defendant-murder-trial/",
"first_published_at": "2019-01-18T17:56:28.253421Z",
"last_published_at": "2024-02-29T18:33:12.594303Z",
"latest_revision_created_at": "2024-02-29T18:33:12.516814Z",
"date": "2018-10-10",
"exact_date_unknown": false,
"city": "Los Angeles",
"longitude": -118.24368,
"latitude": 34.05223,
"body": "<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"d5l8f\">On Oct. 10, 2018, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Gustavo N. Sztraicher ordered The Los Angeles Times not to publish “descriptors” of a defendant charged with murder — even though journalists watched his proceedings in an open courtroom.</p><p data-block-key=\"hrbev\"><a href=\"https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-wright-descriptor-hearing-20181013-story.html\">According to The Times</a>, an attorney for Dejone Wright, the defendant charged with the July shooting of anti-gang activist Garry Dorton, objected during a pre-trial hearing to a media request issued by The Times to photograph or describe his client to the public. Wright’s attorney argued that any information about his client’s appearance, if published, “would affect the outcome of a jury trial."</p><p data-block-key=\"ykmco\">Court documents state Sztraicher agreed with the lawyer’s request and ordered “no descriptors” of Wright be published, citing an “identification issue.”</p><p data-block-key=\"5pv4e\">A sworn declaration by Times reporter Cindy Chang, who was present for the hearing, states no further elaboration of the order was given and that the order was not mentioned in the hearing’s official minutes.</p><p data-block-key=\"gcz5i\">“My understanding is that the Court has prohibited me from publishing any information that visually describes Mr. Wright or Mr. Dixon that I obtained from observing them in open court,” Chang wrote. “However, given the brief exchange in court on Oct. 10 and the lack of any reference to it in the Minute Order, I am uncertain and confused about what the ruling requires.”</p><p data-block-key=\"vasl7\">On Oct. 12, Dan Laidman, an attorney for The Times, challenged the order, requesting clarification and that the order be vacated as an unconstitutional prior restraint on free speech.</p><p data-block-key=\"e6sxf\">“The Times respectfully requests that this Court clarify the scope of the Order, particularly whether it restricts the publication of any information,” Laidman wrote. “If the Order prohibits The Times from publishing information about Defendants that is obtained through a journalist’s observations in open court (or any lawful source), then it is an unconstitutional prior restraint.”</p><p data-block-key=\"eqk18\">Laidman also challenged the order on the grounds it was unconstitutionally vague.</p><p data-block-key=\"v0aiz\">“Without further clarification from this Court, the media will be required to steer wide of describing Defendants, who were lawfully observed in open court, and the Oct. 10 Order therefore imposes an unconstitutionally vague prior restraint,” he argued.</p><p data-block-key=\"uko95\">Laidman went on to note that Wright’s name and birthdate were released by the Los Angeles Police Department on Oct. 3, and no California court has ever upheld a prior restraint “on publication of lawfully obtained information about criminal court proceedings.”</p><p data-block-key=\"th6qw\">Sztraicher reversed his ruling on Oct. 12 after acknowledging even he did not fully comprehend the scope of order, according to The Times.</p><p data-block-key=\"6lu4u\">“Any observations made by a reporter who is lawfully in court… may be reported and disseminated,” Sztraicher said in his reversal.</p><p data-block-key=\"jsye0\">In September, <a href=\"https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/los-angeles-county-judge-orders-reporters-not-publish-courtroom-photographs/\">Sztraicher also prohibited reporters</a> from The Times and other outlets from publishing information in a criminal court proceeding over an “identification issue.” That ruling was also reversed.</p><p data-block-key=\"j0sdh\">On Oct. 16 The Times Editorial Board <a href=\"https://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-prior-restraint-20181016-story.html\">responded</a> to the ruling and its reversal:</p></div>\n<div class=\"block-blockquote\">\n\n<blockquote class=\"blockquote\" cite=\"https://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-prior-restraint-20181016-story.html\">\n\t<div class=\"rich-text\"><p data-block-key=\"4iexu\">It is a settled principle of 1st Amendment law that judges can't bar journalists (or anyone else) from reporting what they see and hear in open court. So it's astounding that a Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Wednesday ordered The Times not to publish information as basic as the physical description of a criminal defendant who was appearing in his courtroom.</p><p data-block-key=\"mj8j5\">A few weeks earlier, the same judge granted permission to photograph another defendant — but then tried to block The Times from publishing the photos. Both gag orders were impermissible and deeply disturbing prior restraints on speech.</p><p data-block-key=\"wn7hn\">Judge Gustavo N. Sztraicher reversed himself in both cases after The Times objected, so one might be tempted to conclude, "No harm, no foul."</p><p data-block-key=\"2wl9l\">But there is indeed serious harm every time a judge disregards or misunderstands the 1st Amendment and the strict limitation it places on the government’s power to prevent a person or news outlet from repeating or reporting what goes on in open court.</p></div>\n\t\n\t\t<cite class=\"blockquote__citation\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"blockquote__link text-link\" href=\"https://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-prior-restraint-20181016-story.html\">\n\t\t\t\t<p data-block-key=\"k07k7\">Editorial: Note to Judge Sztraicher: ‘Open court’ means open for journalists to report freely</p>\n\t\t\t</a>\n\t\t</cite>\n\t\n</blockquote>\n</div>\n<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"d2ltk\"><i>Editor's Note: This article was updated to reflect the correct spelling of Times reporter Cindy Chang</i>'s<i> name</i>.</p></div>",
"introduction": "",
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"state": {
"name": "California",
"abbreviation": "CA"
},
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"target_nationality": [],
"targeted_institutions": [
"Los Angeles Times"
],
"tags": [],
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"categories": [
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{
"title": "New York Post reporter punched while interviewing homeless man",
"url": "https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/new-york-post-reporter-punched-while-interviewing-homeless-man/",
"first_published_at": "2018-11-22T00:29:37.096823Z",
"last_published_at": "2023-03-06T15:24:18.900909Z",
"latest_revision_created_at": "2023-03-06T15:24:18.769901Z",
"date": "2018-10-10",
"exact_date_unknown": false,
"city": "New York",
"longitude": -74.00597,
"latitude": 40.71427,
"body": "<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"o4aah\">On Oct. 10, 2018, New York Post reporter Dean Balsamini was punched in the head by a homeless man he was trying to interview, local newspaper the Villager <a href=\"http://thevillager.com/2018/10/18/crackdown-on-crusties-after-postie-is-punched/\">reports</a>.</p><p data-block-key=\"onm07\">Balsamini mentioned the assault in an Oct. 13 article for the Post, titled “Post reporter investigating vagrants gets punched in the head.” Balsamini identifies the man who attacked him as “Zeke,” one of a number of young homeless people who congregate near a fenced-off vacant lot in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan. In the article, Balsamini derisively refers to Zeke as a 25-year-old “traveler” from Kansas with “farm-animal musk” and “Charles Manson eyes.”</p><p data-block-key=\"lkf3b\">According to Balsamini, Zeke willingly answered a few of the reporter’s questions but then became upset after seeing Balsamini write his name down in a notebook.</p><p data-block-key=\"swwlb\">“He screamed that he ‘wanted his name back,’” Balsamini wrote.</p><p data-block-key=\"0esjy\">Balsamini reported that John O’Connell, the commanding officer of the NYPD’s ninth precinct, personally called him after the attack.</p><p data-block-key=\"2xdnc\">On Oct. 16, O'Connell spoke about the attack at a community council meeting. According to the Villager, O’Connell said that other homeless people in the area regarded Zeke as “emotionally disturbed” and did not want to be associated with him. O’Connell also said that Balsamini did not require medical attention after the attack and did not press charges.</p><p data-block-key=\"vwfcu\">After Balsamini <a href=\"https://nypost.com/2018/10/13/post-reporter-investigating-vagrants-gets-punched-in-the-head/\">wrote about the attack</a> for the Post, police sweeps and crackdowns on homeless encampments in the East Village increased. The NYPD also installed a light tower next to the vacant lot where Balsamini was attacked.</p></div>",
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"assailant": "private individual",
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"state": {
"name": "New York",
"abbreviation": "NY"
},
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"categories": [
"Assault"
],
"targeted_journalists": [
"Dean Balsamini (New York Post)"
],
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},
{
"title": "Reporter Zachary Siegel held in contempt of court and arrested after recording trial",
"url": "https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/reporter-zachary-siegel-held-contempt-court-and-arrested-after-recording-trial/",
"first_published_at": "2018-10-02T21:24:55.666819Z",
"last_published_at": "2023-12-12T19:49:17.293987Z",
"latest_revision_created_at": "2023-12-12T19:49:17.185197Z",
"date": "2018-10-02",
"exact_date_unknown": false,
"city": "Chicago",
"longitude": -87.65005,
"latitude": 41.85003,
"body": "<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"ppdu8\">Freelance journalist Zachary Siegel was held in criminal contempt of court and arrested on Oct. 2, 2018, while covering a high-profile murder trial in Chicago, Illinois. The judge overseeing the trial said that Siegel had recorded part of the trial, in violation of the judge's <a href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5030059-Judge-Vincent-Gaughan-s-courtroom-decorum-orders.html\">decorum order</a>, and ordered him held in jail on a $100 bond.</p><p data-block-key=\"kj53l\">On Oct. 2, Siegel was one of a number of journalists in attendance for the <a href=\"https://abc7chicago.com/watch-live-jason-van-dyke-trial-defense-testimony-resumes/4390218/\">murder trial of Jason Van Dyke</a>, a former Chicago police officer charged with murder in connection with the 2014 shooting of Laquan McDonald, a black teenager. Siegel, a freelance science journalist, was on assignment for Undark, an online magazine about science journalism funded through the Knight Science Journalism program at MIT. Siegel was working on a feature story about Laurence Miller, a police psychologist who often testifies as an expert witness for the defense in trials involving police use of force.</p><p data-block-key=\"zimdr\">Shortly after Miller's testimony began, Judge Vincent Gaughan spotted Siegel recording the testimony and stopped the trial. After questioning Siegel, Judge Gaughan ordered that he be held in "direct criminal contempt" for violating the judge's earlier decorum order. Gaughan's decorum order allowed a defined media pool to record the trial proceedings and then share the footage with other journalists, but prohibited individual journalists (like Siegel) from recording parts of the trial on their own. Siegel was removed from court and taken to jail.</p><p data-block-key=\"gno0t\">Video recorded by ABC 7 (which was allowed to film the proceedings) shows Gaughan questioning Siegel.</p></div>\n<div class=\"block-video\">\n\n<figure class=\"inline-media full-width\">\n <div style=\"padding-bottom: 56.25%;\" class=\"responsive-object\">\n <iframe width=\"480\" height=\"270\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/1uWk7i-T-9o?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; encrypted-media\" allowfullscreen></iframe>\n</div>\n\n \n <figcaption class=\"inline-media__caption\">\n \n <p data-block-key=\"75i32\">Freelance journalist Zach Siegel is taken into custody after Judge Gaughan said he was recording the proceedings, in violation of the judge's decorum order.</p>\n \n \n <p>ABC 7</p>\n \n </figcaption>\n \n</figure>\n</div>\n<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"mdk2t\">"Take your hands out of your pocket," Gaughan scolds Siegel. "All right, state your name. Get up here!"</p><p data-block-key=\"pdmlu\">Gaughan asks Siegel if he was recording testimony (Siegel says he was) and if he knew that recording testimony was a violation of the decorum order (Siegel says he did not).</p><p data-block-key=\"hdkfg\">Gaughan then orders that the person sitting next to Siegel be brought up to the front of the court.</p><p data-block-key=\"2y265\">"Before I ask him whether he was sitting next to you when the decorum order was read, I want you to think about your answer, all right?" Gaughan tells Siegel. "Did you see and hear my deputy read my decorum order in this courtroom?"</p><p data-block-key=\"x664m\">"Yes," Siegel says.</p><p data-block-key=\"qrlut\">"All right, take him into custody," Gaughan says. "I find you in direct contempt of court."</p></div>\n<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"h5vst\">Later, Siegel was brought back before Judge Gaughan for a brief hearing on the criminal contempt charge.</p><p data-block-key=\"ycip2\">Gaughan told Siegel to appear at a sentencing hearing on Oct. 31 and ordered him held on a $1,000 D-bond. A D-bond requires that a defendant raise 10% of its amount (in this case, $100) in order to make bail.</p></div>\n<div class=\"block-raw_html\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-lang=\"en\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Zachary Siegel, the reporter who was held in contempt after recording earlier today, is being held on $1,000 bond.<br><br>"I don't want you to stay over there long," Gaughan said, adding "it's bad that you did that."</p>— Matt Masterson (@ByMattMasterson) <a href=\"https://twitter.com/ByMattMasterson/status/1047184206844051456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 2, 2018</a></blockquote>\r\n<script async src=\"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"></script>\r\n\r\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\" data-lang=\"en\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Zachary Siegel, a freelancer, is in front of Judge Gaughan on his contempt of court charge. He's got a $1000 D-bond, so he'll have to post $100 to get out. We took up a collection in the press aisle.</p>— Andy Grimm (@agrimm34) <a href=\"https://twitter.com/agrimm34/status/1047184505944064001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 2, 2018</a></blockquote>\r\n<script async src=\"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"></script></div>\n<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"vl4wa\">Siegel was released from jail after other journalists covering the trial took up a collection to raise $100 for his bail.</p></div>\n<div class=\"block-raw_html\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I was arrested and charged with contempt of court for recording when I wasn't supposed to. I want to thank all the journalists who put up $ for my bond, keeping me out of jail. (If you did put up $, please DM so I can venmo you). I also want to thank <a href=\"https://twitter.com/undarkmag?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@undarkmag</a> for standing w/ me</p>— Zachary Siegel (@ZachWritesStuff) <a href=\"https://twitter.com/ZachWritesStuff/status/1047247927373168640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 2, 2018</a></blockquote>\r\n<script async src=\"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"></script></div>\n<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"l64x2\">Tom Zeller, Jr., the editor in chief of Undark magazine, told Freedom of the Press Foundation that the judge's decision to hold Siegel in contempt of court was inappropriate.</p><p data-block-key=\"azfo6\">"Whatever the overall nature or purpose of the judge's 'decorum order,' the decision to arrest a reporter for recording testimony during a highly publicized trial — and one in which other members of the press were permitted to record freely — would seem both absurd and arbitrary on its face," he said. "If the judge's goal was to intimidate other working journalists, it will not work."</p></div>",
"introduction": "",
"teaser": "",
"teaser_image": "https://media.pressfreedomtracker.us/media/images/Screen_Shot_2018-10-02_at_5.09.51.2e16d0ba.fill-1330x880.png",
"primary_video": null,
"image_caption": "<p data-block-key=\"v3kz2\">Zachary Siegel is taken into custody after being found in direct criminal contempt of court for recording part of a murder trial in Chicago.</p>",
"arresting_authority": null,
"arrest_status": "arrested and released",
"release_date": null,
"detention_date": null,
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"case_number": null,
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"status_of_prior_restraint": null,
"mistakenly_released_materials": false,
"links": [],
"equipment_seized": [],
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"state": {
"name": "Illinois",
"abbreviation": "IL"
},
"updates": [
"(2018-10-31 14:36:00+00:00) Motion to reconsider",
"(2018-12-14 12:44:00+00:00) Three months of \"non-reported\" supervision for contempt"
],
"case_statuses": [],
"workers_whose_communications_were_obtained": [],
"target_nationality": [],
"targeted_institutions": [],
"tags": [
"Black Lives Matter"
],
"politicians_or_public_figures_involved": [],
"authors": [],
"categories": [
"Arrest/Criminal Charge"
],
"targeted_journalists": [
"Zachary Siegel (Undark)"
],
"subpoena_statuses": [],
"type_of_denial": []
},
{
"title": "Journalist subpoenaed in legal feud over boxing match",
"url": "https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/journalist-subpoenaed-in-legal-feud-over-boxing-match/",
"first_published_at": "2023-11-02T18:13:17.137741Z",
"last_published_at": "2023-11-02T18:44:54.674383Z",
"latest_revision_created_at": "2023-11-02T18:44:54.579466Z",
"date": "2018-09-28",
"exact_date_unknown": false,
"city": "Los Angeles",
"longitude": -118.24368,
"latitude": 34.05223,
"body": "<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"vghl0\">Journalist Lance Pugmire was subpoenaed on September 28, 2018, as part of a lawsuit around a major boxing match he covered in 2015 while a reporter at the Los Angeles Times, according to court documents reviewed by the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker.</p><p data-block-key=\"ck613\">It was the first of <a href=\"https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/?targeted_journalists=Lance+Pugmire&legal_order_type=SUBPOENA&legal_order_target=JOURNALIST&categories=Subpoena%2FLegal+Order\">a total of five subpoenas</a> Pugmire received between 2018 and 2023, in a plaintiff’s long-running lawsuit around finder’s fees for a 2015 boxing match between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. The match broke pay-per-view records at more than $400 million in sales, as Pugmire himself <a href=\"https://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-mayweather-pacquiao-ppv-record-20150512-story.html\">reported</a> for the Times.</p><p data-block-key=\"150r9\">The plaintiff in the suit claims that Showtime, which televised the fight, as well as Pacquiao and his trainer, Frederick Roach, promised him a finder’s fee for helping to negotiate the fight.</p><p data-block-key=\"4ij1a\">In the fall of 2018, the plaintiff subpoenaed Pugmire for testimony to have him confirm that quotations from Roach in Pugmire’s articles about the fight were accurately attributed. Pugmire objected to the subpoena and refused to testify. The plaintiff filed a motion to compel his testimony, which was denied on March 5, 2019, on the grounds that it was filed too late after Pugmire’s objections.</p></div>",
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"legal_order_venue": "State",
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"mistakenly_released_materials": false,
"links": [],
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"state": {
"name": "California",
"abbreviation": "CA"
},
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"targeted_institutions": [],
"tags": [],
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"authors": [],
"categories": [
"Subpoena/Legal Order"
],
"targeted_journalists": [
"Lance Pugmire (Los Angeles Times)"
],
"subpoena_statuses": null,
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},
{
"title": "Los Angeles County judge orders reporters not to publish courtroom photographs",
"url": "https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/los-angeles-county-judge-orders-reporters-not-publish-courtroom-photographs/",
"first_published_at": "2019-01-15T16:54:13.677429Z",
"last_published_at": "2024-02-29T18:33:33.397071Z",
"latest_revision_created_at": "2024-02-29T18:33:33.323410Z",
"date": "2018-09-26",
"exact_date_unknown": false,
"city": "Los Angeles",
"longitude": -118.24368,
"latitude": 34.05223,
"body": "<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"o1qnc\">On Sept. 26, 2018, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Gustavo N. Sztraicher ordered journalists not to publish images taken during the arraignment hearing of Ramon Escobar, who was charged with the murders of multiple homeless people in Southern California.</p><p data-block-key=\"o55qx\">According to court documents, Sztraicher gave permission to journalists from The Los Angeles Times, The Associated Press and a television news station to document the proceedings after hearing no objections. However, once reporters began taking photographs, an attorney for Escobar raised an objection, citing an “identification issue.”</p><p data-block-key=\"h315m\">Although photographs of Escobar had already been released and published by media outlets, the objection was sustained by Sztraicher, who then ordered reporters to stop taking photos and video. He also ordered a sketch artist to stop drawing.</p><p data-block-key=\"j965g\">Dan Laidman, an attorney representing The Times and the AP, provided documents that show the journalists were unsure if the court had simply halted further photography or had prohibited publishing images already taken. Journalists, including Times reporters Gina Ferazzi and James Queally, asked the judge for further instruction.</p><p data-block-key=\"ydtzw\">“When journalists pressed for clarification, the judge ruled that the publication of any images, videos or sketches of Escobar from the court hearing would be considered a violation of a court order,” <a href=\"https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-escobar-photo-20180926-story.html\">The Times reported</a>.</p><p data-block-key=\"22eus\">At a hearing the following day, Laidman argued the order was “flatly unconstitutional” and asked that it be vacated, noting the Supreme Court has never upheld a prior restraint.</p><p data-block-key=\"lp8wh\">“The Times understands that this Court issued its prior restraint because of concerns about an unspecified ‘identification’ issue concerning Defendant, and out of concern for his Sixth Amendment right to a fair trial. But these interests simply do not justify a prior restraint here,” Laidman wrote in the court brief. “The September 26 Order is at odds with the basic purpose of the First Amendment - namely, to prevent the government from imposing prior restraints against the press. […] The Times, therefore, respectfully requests that the Court vacate the Order immediately.”</p><p data-block-key=\"8k5v8\">Escobar’s attorney argued that because Sztraicher’s permission was granted verbally and not through written order, the photographs were obtained unlawfully.</p><p data-block-key=\"ghdi7\">Sztraicher denied this argument, acknowledging journalists had obtained prior verbal approval, and vacated his order.</p><p data-block-key=\"84nwy\">“Defense attorneys often argue that publishing their client’s image before trial could improperly sway witnesses, … Once photographs have been taken legally, however, a judgeccccccjfk typically can’t bar news outlets from publishing them,” <a href=\"https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-escobar-photo-hearing-20180927-story.html\">The Times reported</a> following the hearing.</p><p data-block-key=\"vfcr7\">The AP also published on the successful free speech defense.</p><p data-block-key=\"8r19a\">“The order should never have been issued in the first place,” David Snyder, executive director of the First Amendment Coalition, <a href=\"https://apnews.com/564a8911b89d4f3d819aee6846c896bb\">told the AP</a>. “I’m glad the court saw the light of day.”</p><p data-block-key=\"tyi68\">In a statement emailed to the Freedom of the Press Foundation about the decision, The Times’ Executive Editor Norman Pearlstine noted how the judge’s courtroom ruling put the news outlet in a difficult position.</p><p data-block-key=\"q7qor\">“It is distressing that once again the Los Angeles Times needs to resort to litigation to preserve our rights under the 1st Amendment,” Pearlstine said.</p><p data-block-key=\"t8q7g\">Earlier in the year, The Times filed an emergency petition with the U.S. Court of Appeals to rescind a restraining order against publishing information made public in the criminal case of former narcotics detective John Balian. That <a href=\"https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/judge-orders-los-angeles-times-remove-certain-facts-published-article/\">order was also reversed</a> after a day.</p></div>",
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{
"title": "Journalist Karen Savage arrested for second time while covering anti-pipeline protest in Louisiana",
"url": "https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/journalist-karen-savage-arrested-second-time-while-covering-anti-pipeline-protest-louisiana/",
"first_published_at": "2018-10-26T21:32:22.072826Z",
"last_published_at": "2025-07-03T16:39:17.813133Z",
"latest_revision_created_at": "2025-07-03T16:39:17.690843Z",
"date": "2018-09-18",
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"city": "St. Martin Parish",
"longitude": null,
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"body": "<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"q1kf6\">On Sept. 18, 2018, freelance investigative reporter Karen Savage was arrested and charged with trespassing, while <a href=\"https://theappeal.org/louisiana-police-arrest-bayou-bridge-pipeline-protesters/\">reporting</a> on protests against the construction of the Bayou Bridge oil pipeline in Louisiana.</p><p data-block-key=\"ahgz2\">Savage was embedded with a camp of protesters, known as water protectors, who were aiming to defend a piece of land in Louisiana’s Atchafalaya River Basin, a wetlands area co-owned by hundreds of people.</p><p data-block-key=\"egpbj\">Energy Transfer Partners, the company responsible for the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota, is trying to build its new Bayou Bridge oil pipeline through the area. Although some of the co-owners of the Atchafalaya River Basin property have given the company permission to build the pipeline, hundreds of others have <a href=\"https://www.nola.com/landowners-sue-bayou-bridge-claiming-pipeline-company-improperly-seized-private-land/article_ad04db97-1a9e-5965-a145-f9619b7fed21.html\">refused</a> to do so. Despite this, the company had already begun making alterations to the land, including removing trees and digging a ditch. It has also asked the state of Louisiana to use eminent domain to seize the land from the co-owners who object to the pipeline.</p><p data-block-key=\"sadag\">Savage told Freedom of the Press Foundation that one of the co-owners of the Atchafalaya Basin land who is resisting the pipeline had given her permission to be on the property.</p><p data-block-key=\"i2c3u\">“Some were actively resisting, and I had a letter from a landowner saying we were welcome to be on the property," she said. "For people to visit the property, you only need permission from one landowner.”</p><p data-block-key=\"ruvgo\">Savage had previously been <a href=\"https://theintercept.com/2018/08/22/recent-arrests-under-new-anti-protest-law-spotlight-risks-that-off-duty-cops-pose-to-pipeline-opponents/\">arrested for trespassing</a> while reporting on the pipeline protests on Aug. 18. Once she was released on bail, she returned to the resistance camp at the Atchafalaya River Basin to continue covering the protest movement.</p><p data-block-key=\"d12vn\">Savage said that on September 3 and 4, she witnessed law enforcement officers treated protesters badly.</p><p data-block-key=\"w37ft\">“They chased them, tackled them, and allowed pipeline security employees to put their hands on protesters,” she said. “It was heavily violence and I got some pictures of law enforcement chasing them.”</p><p data-block-key=\"pgxyn\">She said that a few weeks later, on Sept. 17, she was riding in a vehicle that was pulled over in a different parish in Louisiana. The officers ran the ID’s of everyone in the car, but everything came back fine and they were allowed to proceed after receiving a citation.</p><p data-block-key=\"bevbg\">The next day, sheriff’s deputies claimed that Savage had an outstanding warrant dating from Sept. 3.</p><p data-block-key=\"7nxd7\">Savage said that on September 18, she was tipped off by protesters to come to a particular part of the swamp, and when she pulled up in her boat to the ramp, she saw sheriff’s department officers present. As Savage began photographing the scene, the officers came to her and arrested her, allegedly on an outstanding warrant.</p><p data-block-key=\"b9c08\">“They said they were arresting me for an outstanding warrant,” she said. “But I knew there was nothing out for me.”</p><p data-block-key=\"vo602\">Savage said that an individual who witnessed the arrest called the sheriff’s department to inquire why she was arrested and learned that there was no warrant out for her.</p><p data-block-key=\"y2y8v\">Savage was arrested under <a href=\"https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bayou-bridge-activists-anti-protest-law-is-anti-american_us_5ba53c4ce4b0181540dcd246\">Louisiana's newly-enacted state law</a> against “unauthorized entry of a critical infrastructure project.” The Louisiana state law — which only went into effect on Aug. 1 — makes trespassing on a “critical infrastructure project” like an oil pipeline a felony punishable by up to five years in prison.</p><p data-block-key=\"7urh5\">She had previously been arrested under the same law on Aug. 18.</p><p data-block-key=\"thd4f\">Savage contrasted her treatment by the sheriff’s department to her previous arrest while covering the protest in August. Then, she said, the arrest wasn’t violent. But this time, she said the officers grabbed her roughly and pulled her hands back.</p><p data-block-key=\"o5cjn\">“They really hurt me arms, shoulders, and wrists,” she said. “It was really unnecessary.”</p><p data-block-key=\"86tks\">She said that the officers put her in the back of a police car and then drove her around for about an hour, which she found suspicious.</p><p data-block-key=\"aeufc\">“It’s a 20 minute drive to the station,” she said. “But they kept driving around through sugar cane fields, and I had no idea where he was taking me. I thought maybe it was intimidation because they didn’t actually have a warrant.”</p><p data-block-key=\"bj0h6\">The St. Martin’s Sheriff Department did not respond to request for comment.</p><p data-block-key=\"5luzi\">Savage said that, despite her two arrests, the local district attorney has not brought any criminal charges against her.</p><p data-block-key=\"l4nmx\">“I’m doubtful that they ever will,” she said. “It was a very clear intimidation tactic to stop me from covering the story.”</p><p data-block-key=\"aql2v\">“I will go back,” she added. “I’m not going to let them intimidate me. It’s our job to hold these officials accountable.”</p></div>",
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"state": {
"name": "Louisiana",
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},
"updates": [
"(2024-03-28 00:00:00+00:00) Judge dismisses journalist’s First Amendment claims stemming from Louisiana arrests",
"(2021-07-13 00:00:00+00:00) Charges dropped against investigative journalist who sued following arrests in Louisiana",
"(2024-04-22 00:00:00+00:00) Journalist appeals dismissal of First Amendment claims",
"(2025-06-20 16:38:00+00:00) Appeals court dismisses First Amendment claims in pipeline protest reporting case"
],
"case_statuses": [
"dismissed"
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"tags": [
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"categories": [
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{
"title": "UMass-Boston student newspaper editor sued for defamation, emotional distress",
"url": "https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/umass-boston-student-newspaper-editor-sued-defamation-emotional-distress/",
"first_published_at": "2019-08-07T16:48:05.975398Z",
"last_published_at": "2024-02-29T19:56:27.471787Z",
"latest_revision_created_at": "2024-02-29T19:56:27.384417Z",
"date": "2018-09-17",
"exact_date_unknown": false,
"city": "Boston",
"longitude": -71.05977,
"latitude": 42.35843,
"body": "<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"chvrv\">Cady Vishniac, former news editor for the student newspaper at the University of Massachusetts Boston, is the only remaining defendant in an ongoing legal case stemming from an article published in 2013.</p><p data-block-key=\"2xall\">Mass Media, the university’s independent student newspaper, routinely published information straight from the weekly police blotter, The Boston Globe <a href=\"https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/07/26/student-newspaper-case-could-upend-journalism-protections/cQjQafMXlhxDiG8LEm5EaK/story.html?et_rid=1767780551&s_campaign=bostonglobe%3Asocialflow%3Atwitter\">reported</a>. In March 2013, Mass Media published an entry about an unidentified individual allegedly taking pictures of women on campus without their knowledge or consent under the headline, “Have You Seen This Man?”</p><p data-block-key=\"aomo2\">The UMass-Boston police released to the newspaper a photo of a man later identified as Jon Butcher. Eventually, after speaking with Butcher and searching his phone images, police closed their investigation into him without filing any charges.</p><p data-block-key=\"9okja\">Butcher, a former security engineer in the university’s information technology department, <a href=\"http://www.ma-appellatecourts.org/display_docket.php?src=party&dno=2017-P-0161\">filed a lawsuit</a> against the university, members of the newspaper’s staff and others in January 2014. He argued that the story was defamatory, deliberately hurtful and damaged his relationship with his boss, forcing him to eventually leave his position at the university. Vishniac was the only student editor Butcher was able to serve with court documents, the Globe reported.</p><p data-block-key=\"zx3kx\">Suffolk County Superior Court Judge Douglas Wilkins dismissed all of Butcher’s claims in May 2015, which Butcher appealed in 2017.</p><p data-block-key=\"q3qs8\">A Massachusetts Appeals Court revived only the claims of defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress against Vishniac on Sept. 17, 2018. The three-judge panel concluded that because police never issued a warrant or made an arrest, the information in the police blotter was not protected by fair report privilege.</p><p data-block-key=\"i43kf\"><a href=\"http://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/fair-report-privilege\">According to the Digital Media Law Project</a>, fair report privilege provides blanket protections allowing media outlets to report official statements and actions without taking on liability for accusations or charges made therein.</p><p data-block-key=\"ru0f0\">Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey is representing Vishniac in her appeal before the state’s Supreme Judicial Court, the Globe <a href=\"https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/07/26/student-newspaper-case-could-upend-journalism-protections/cQjQafMXlhxDiG8LEm5EaK/story.html?et_rid=1767780551&s_campaign=bostonglobe%3Asocialflow%3Atwitter\">reported</a>, having deemed the case to be in the public’s interest. The case will likely be heard in the fall of 2019.</p><p data-block-key=\"cl5y7\">In <a href=\"http://www.ma-appellatecourts.org/?pdf=SJC-12698_03_Appellee_Vishniac_Brief.pdf\">a court brief</a> submitted on behalf of Vishniac on July 1, 2019, Deputy State Solicitor David Kravitz argued that police incident logs are crucial for reporters, serving their communities by informing them about possible crimes and the activities of local law enforcement.</p><p data-block-key=\"m8p9s\">The decisions of the appeals court are “significant errors of law,” Kravitz wrote, “that threaten not only to impose unwarranted litigation costs and perhaps liability on the one remaining individual defendant in this case, but also to chill the press from carrying out its crucial, and constitutionally protected, function.”</p><p data-block-key=\"2ub4u\">If the state’s high court upholds the lower court decision, the defamation case against Vishniac will go to trial.</p><p data-block-key=\"fwcvo\">“I am sure that there are greater issues at stake here,” Vishniac told the Globe. “I just don’t for the life of me understand how it got this far.”</p></div>",
"introduction": "",
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"state": {
"name": "Massachusetts",
"abbreviation": "MA"
},
"updates": [
"(2019-12-31 11:24:00+00:00) Libel suit against former student editor dismissed by Massachusetts Supreme Court"
],
"case_statuses": [],
"workers_whose_communications_were_obtained": [],
"target_nationality": [],
"targeted_institutions": [],
"tags": [
"student journalism"
],
"politicians_or_public_figures_involved": [],
"authors": [],
"categories": [
"Other Incident"
],
"targeted_journalists": [
"Cady Vishniac (The [University of Massachusetts] Mass Media)"
],
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},
{
"title": "AP video journalist punched in face and called 'fake news'",
"url": "https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/ap-video-journalist-punched-face-and-called-fake-news/",
"first_published_at": "2018-11-02T20:47:34.027254Z",
"last_published_at": "2023-11-22T20:58:31.695492Z",
"latest_revision_created_at": "2023-11-22T20:58:31.609493Z",
"date": "2018-09-16",
"exact_date_unknown": true,
"city": "Bladen County",
"longitude": null,
"latitude": null,
"body": "<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"fxlas\">In September 2018, Associated Press video journalist Josh Replogle was reporting on <a href=\"https://www.apnews.com/b798778c3c764519a954ce810eb29d39\">flooding</a> in rural North Carolina caused by Hurricane Florence when a man punched him in the face.</p><p data-block-key=\"zciyj\">An AP article published on Oct. 29, 2018, <a href=\"https://apnews.com/0f7dea73808b4171b9d0c86f99894e1f\">described</a> the assault on Replogle:</p></div>\n<div class=\"block-blockquote\">\n\n<blockquote class=\"blockquote\" cite=\"https://apnews.com/0f7dea73808b4171b9d0c86f99894e1f\">\n\t<div class=\"rich-text\"><p data-block-key=\"cfq9a\">Video journalist Joshua Replogle of The Associated Press was filming flooding from Hurricane Florence in North Carolina’s rural Bladen County when a nearby man knocked over his camera and began punching him in the face. His friends muttered, “fake news.” So far no charges have been filed, he said.</p><p data-block-key=\"4xgrt\">“The ironic part is my video would have helped him,” Replogle said. “It would have brought attention to a small town” where there was flooding, he said.</p></div>\n\t\n\t\t<cite class=\"blockquote__citation\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"blockquote__link text-link\" href=\"https://apnews.com/0f7dea73808b4171b9d0c86f99894e1f\">\n\t\t\t\t<p data-block-key=\"tcinj\">Anger toward media spreads into local communities (AP)</p>\n\t\t\t</a>\n\t\t</cite>\n\t\n</blockquote>\n</div>",
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"assailant": "private individual",
"was_journalist_targeted": "yes",
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"state": {
"name": "North Carolina",
"abbreviation": "NC"
},
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"tags": [
"environmentalism"
],
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"authors": [],
"categories": [
"Assault"
],
"targeted_journalists": [
"Josh Replogle (The Associated Press)"
],
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},
{
"title": "Independent journalist arrested while filming in New Mexico; sues police officer",
"url": "https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/independent-journalist-arrested-while-filming-in-new-mexico-sues-police-officer/",
"first_published_at": "2024-05-15T16:04:56.014242Z",
"last_published_at": "2025-04-03T22:57:13.816493Z",
"latest_revision_created_at": "2025-04-03T22:57:13.719380Z",
"date": "2018-09-11",
"exact_date_unknown": false,
"city": "Artesia",
"longitude": -104.4033,
"latitude": 32.84233,
"body": "<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"5l6t2\">Independent journalist Albert Bustillos was arrested in Artesia, New Mexico, on Sept. 11, 2018, while attempting to gather footage to report on an oil refinery. Although the subsequent conviction was later dismissed, Bustillos ultimately sued over the arrest on First Amendment and other grounds and won an appeals court ruling in the ongoing case in April 2024.</p><p data-block-key=\"1q027\">Bustillos, who lives in nearby Carlsbad and runs a YouTube channel under the name “Stray Dog the Exposer,” told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker he was filming outside of the Navajo Refinery, owned by HF Sinclair Corporation, to make a video about the local oil industry.</p><p data-block-key=\"15ea2\">He said he was careful to stay outside of the refinery’s property line and explained what he was doing to an approaching security guard. He continued <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77o2nPZruqA\">livestreaming</a> for his protection, in case his phone was confiscated and video deleted, Bustillos told the Tracker.</p><p data-block-key=\"c4kfe\">The security guard then made a suspicious person report to the police, according to court documents reviewed by the Tracker. Two police officers approached and asked Bustillos for identification. He refused, explaining while continuing to film that he was on public property, had not broken any laws and was an independent journalist gathering content for stories.</p><p data-block-key=\"1irfv\">Officer David Bailey then arrested Bustillos on a charge of concealing his identity. He was transported to the Artesia Police Department’s Holding Facility and then to the Eddy County Detention Center, where he was held for 48 hours, he told the Tracker. He was convicted by Eddy County Magistrate Court in December and sentenced to 182 days of supervised probation and $73 in fees.</p><p data-block-key=\"9eg1i\">Bustillos then appealed to the Eddy County District Court, which found him not guilty in April 2020 after a bench trial and remanded the case to the magistrate court to be dismissed.</p><p data-block-key=\"7nvne\">In September 2020, Bustillos <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNSBdIGkVVs\">sued</a> the city of Artesia and Bailey in Eddy County District Court for violating his First and Fourth amendment rights, arguing that the arrest had been in retaliation for his refusal to identify himself and for questioning its basis. The case was transferred to the U.S. District Court in New Mexico a month later.</p><p data-block-key=\"4s7s4\">Bustillos’ attorney Joseph P. Kennedy told the Tracker that the defendants offered to settle with Bustillos after he filed his case, but that he refused.</p><p data-block-key=\"77lnq\">In March 2022, the court denied the defendants’ attempt to dismiss Bustillos’ claims of constitutional rights violations, ruling that Bailey lacked reasonable suspicion for arresting Bustillos and therefore lacked qualified immunity. The defendants appealed.</p><p data-block-key=\"29vgg\">On April 17, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit affirmed the denial. The underlying case remains ongoing in federal court.</p><p data-block-key=\"das1d\">“We are very happy with the decision. Police may not demand identification from any person standing on a public sidewalk, obeying all laws,” Kennedy told the Tracker.</p><p data-block-key=\"89nh3\">“I applaud Albert’s courage to turn down a monetary settlement so that his arrest can stand as a valuable precedent for freedom of an independent press,” Kennedy added. “His actions and the decision will result in less harassment and more freedom for news gatherers.”</p></div>",
"introduction": "",
"teaser": "",
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"image_caption": "<p data-block-key=\"bhol2\">A still from the livestream by independent journalist Albert Bustillos showing his arrest. He was charged with concealing his identity while filming on public land outside of the Navajo Refinery in Artesia, New Mexico, on Sept. 11, 2018.</p>",
"arresting_authority": "Artesia Police Department",
"arrest_status": "arrested and released",
"release_date": "2018-09-13",
"detention_date": "2018-09-11",
"unnecessary_use_of_force": false,
"case_number": "2:20-cv-01060",
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"state": {
"name": "New Mexico",
"abbreviation": "NM"
},
"updates": [
"(2024-08-01 00:00:00+00:00) New Mexico journalist settles with arresting officer, city"
],
"case_statuses": [
"settled"
],
"workers_whose_communications_were_obtained": [],
"target_nationality": [],
"targeted_institutions": [],
"tags": [
"environmentalism"
],
"politicians_or_public_figures_involved": [],
"authors": [],
"categories": [
"Arrest/Criminal Charge"
],
"targeted_journalists": [
"Albert Bustillos (Independent)"
],
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},
{
"title": "Trump tells DOJ to investigate author of anonymous op-ed criticizing him",
"url": "https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/trump-tells-doj-investigate-author-anonymous-op-ed-criticizing-him/",
"first_published_at": "2018-09-07T21:05:37.997528Z",
"last_published_at": "2024-11-25T18:49:32.419252Z",
"latest_revision_created_at": "2024-11-25T18:49:32.335033Z",
"date": "2018-09-07",
"exact_date_unknown": false,
"city": "Washington",
"longitude": -77.03637,
"latitude": 38.89511,
"body": "<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"s169n\">President Donald Trump called for the Department of Justice to investigate the author of an anonymous op-ed within his administration, and said he was considering taking action against the New York Times for publishing it.</p><p data-block-key=\"nfhj8\">On Sept. 5, 2018, the Times published <a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/05/opinion/trump-white-house-anonymous-resistance.html\">an opinion column</a> titled “I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration.” The anonymous author claimed in the op-ed that he was part of a group of administration staffers who tried to “resist” Trump’s impulsive decisions.</p><p data-block-key=\"etrg9\">In an editor’s note, the paper said that the person who wrote the op-ed was a “senior administration official” whose identity was known to the Times but who had wished to remain anonymous.</p><p data-block-key=\"hbkfp\">Shortly after the op-ed was published, Trump said on Twitter that the newspaper should reveal the author’s identity to the government.</p></div>\n<div class=\"block-raw_html\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Does the so-called “Senior Administration Official” really exist, or is it just the Failing New York Times with another phony source? If the GUTLESS anonymous person does indeed exist, the Times must, for National Security purposes, turn him/her over to government at once!</p>— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href=\"https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1037485664433070080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 5, 2018</a></blockquote>\r\n<script async src=\"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"></script></div>\n<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"chlwu\">On Sept. 7, Trump <a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/07/us/politics/trump-investigation-times-op-ed.html\">told</a> <a href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-justice-department-should-investigate-anonymous-op-ed-author/2018/09/07/b1eecd80-b2ba-11e8-a20b-5f4f84429666_story.html\">reporters</a> aboard Air Force One that he wanted Attorney General Jeff Sessions to direct the DOJ to unmask the identity of the author. Trump said that this was a national security imperative.</p><p data-block-key=\"sne8p\">“I would say Jeff should be investigating who the author of that piece was, because I really believe it’s national security,” Trump said.</p><p data-block-key=\"ocjtq\">"For somebody to do this is very low, and I think, journalistically and from many different standpoints, and maybe even from the standpoint of national security, we'll find out about that," he added.</p><p data-block-key=\"83yru\">In a statement, the Times said that any such investigation by the DOJ would be a “blatant abuse of government power.”</p><p data-block-key=\"xghd7\">“We’re confident that the Department of Justice understands that the First Amendment protects all American citizens and that it would not participate in such a blatant abuse of government power,” the paper said. “The president’s threats both underscore why we must safeguard the identity of the writer of this Op-Ed and serve as a reminder of the importance of a free and independent press to American democracy.”</p><p data-block-key=\"1tkna\">Trump also said that he is looking into potentially taking legal action against the Times for publishing the op-ed, according to reports from multiple news outlets.</p><p data-block-key=\"tmhfv\">Trump has frequently vowed to take legal action against news organizations whose coverage he finds unfavorable, but he has not followed through on the vast majority of these threats.</p></div>",
"introduction": "",
"teaser": "\"I would say [Attorney General Jeff Sessions] should be investigating who the author of that piece was,\" Trump told reporters on Air Force One.",
"teaser_image": "https://media.pressfreedomtracker.us/media/images/Screen_Shot_2018-09-07_at_5.02.56.2e16d0ba.fill-1330x880.png",
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"state": {
"name": "District of Columbia",
"abbreviation": "DC"
},
"updates": [],
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"target_nationality": [],
"targeted_institutions": [
"The New York Times"
],
"tags": [
"Donald Trump"
],
"politicians_or_public_figures_involved": [],
"authors": [],
"categories": [
"Chilling Statement"
],
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},
{
"title": "Man intentionally crashes truck into local TV station in Dallas, Texas",
"url": "https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/man-intentionally-crashes-truck-local-tv-station-dallas-texas/",
"first_published_at": "2018-10-05T18:05:48.743600Z",
"last_published_at": "2023-11-14T21:18:01.056170Z",
"latest_revision_created_at": "2023-11-14T21:18:00.845277Z",
"date": "2018-09-05",
"exact_date_unknown": false,
"city": "Dallas",
"longitude": -96.80667,
"latitude": 32.78306,
"body": "<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"lb21r\">On Sept. 5, 2018, a man repeatedly crashed his pickup truck into the side of the KDFW/FOX 4 television studio in downtown Dallas, Texas.</p><p data-block-key=\"80opv\">Just before 7 a.m. that morning, the man rammed into the floor-to-ceiling windows of the local news station, FOX 4 <a href=\"http://www.fox4news.com/news/man-arrested-after-crashing-truck-into-fox4-building-in-downtown-dallas\">reported</a>. The man then exited the vehicle, began yelling, and placed numerous boxes full of stacks of paper near the building, throwing some of the papers around the street. He was later detained by police.</p><p data-block-key=\"xoinf\">One of the station’s reporters tweeted a photo of the man holding a piece of paper against a window, and said that the man was yelling something about "high treason."</p></div>\n<div class=\"block-raw_html\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This was the man who smashed his truck into our station this morning..throwing papers around while yelling "high treason". <a href=\"https://twitter.com/FOX4?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@FOX4</a> <a href=\"https://t.co/k7PsosDQIk\">pic.twitter.com/k7PsosDQIk</a></p>— Brandon Todd (@BrandonToddFOX4) <a href=\"https://twitter.com/BrandonToddFOX4/status/1037329380891140101?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 5, 2018</a></blockquote>\r\n<script async src=\"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"></script></div>\n<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"jgnz2\">FOX 4 also reported that the man left behind a "suspicious package," later identified as a bag. A bomb squad was quickly dispatched to the station, and journalists were quickly moved to a "secure location." </p></div>\n<div class=\"block-raw_html\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">A man crashed a truck into the side of our building this morning. He jumped out and started ranting. He’s in custody now but the bomb squad is on its way. He left behind a suspicious bag. Most have been evacuated & a few are working to keep the news on air from a secure location. <a href=\"https://t.co/X3UpLbYk85\">pic.twitter.com/X3UpLbYk85</a></p>— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) <a href=\"https://twitter.com/FOX4/status/1037309502687772672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 5, 2018</a></blockquote>\r\n<script async src=\"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"></script></div>\n<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"9o378\">The bag was ultimately determined to pose no threat. No one was injured as a result of the incident, and staff were allowed to re-enter the building after several hours.</p><p data-block-key=\"6y85k\">The man involved was arrested, and Dallas police later <a href=\"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/fox-4-news-truck-attack-ram-dallas-texas-news-studio-pick-up-police-suspect-a8523926.html\">identified</a> him as Michael Chadwick Fry.</p><p data-block-key=\"ul8b\"><i>Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article misstated the first name of Michael Chadwick Fry as Matthew.</i></p></div>",
"introduction": "",
"teaser": "",
"teaser_image": "https://media.pressfreedomtracker.us/media/images/Fox4_truck_attack.2e16d0ba.fill-1330x880.jpg",
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"image_caption": "",
"arresting_authority": null,
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"case_number": null,
"case_type": null,
"status_of_seized_equipment": null,
"is_search_warrant_obtained": false,
"actor": "private individual",
"border_point": null,
"target_us_citizenship_status": null,
"denial_of_entry": false,
"stopped_previously": false,
"did_authorities_ask_for_device_access": null,
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"assailant": null,
"was_journalist_targeted": null,
"charged_under_espionage_act": false,
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"legal_order_venue": null,
"status_of_prior_restraint": null,
"mistakenly_released_materials": false,
"links": [],
"equipment_seized": [],
"equipment_broken": [
{
"quantity": 1,
"equipment": "building"
}
],
"state": {
"name": "Texas",
"abbreviation": "TX"
},
"updates": [
"(2021-11-18 00:00:00+00:00) Man who drove pickup into Texas TV station put on probation"
],
"case_statuses": [],
"workers_whose_communications_were_obtained": [],
"target_nationality": [],
"targeted_institutions": [
"KDFW"
],
"tags": [],
"politicians_or_public_figures_involved": [],
"authors": [],
"categories": [
"Equipment Damage"
],
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},
{
"title": "Grand jury subpoenas independent journalist for video footage of DC protest",
"url": "https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/grand-jury-subpoenas-independent-journalist-video-footage-dc-protest/",
"first_published_at": "2018-09-12T17:53:34.170687Z",
"last_published_at": "2023-11-22T21:02:33.619963Z",
"latest_revision_created_at": "2023-11-22T21:02:33.516347Z",
"date": "2018-09-04",
"exact_date_unknown": false,
"city": "Washington",
"longitude": -77.03637,
"latitude": 38.89511,
"body": "<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"3fpib\">Luke Kuhn, an independent journalist and contributor to anarchist news outlet It’s Going Down, was served a grand jury subpoena on Sept. 4, 2018. The subpoena, which was later withdrawn, <a href=\"https://itsgoingdown.org/we-will-not-comply-comrade-received-grand-jury-subpoena-in-washington-dc/\">ordered</a> Kuhn to hand over his video footage of Unite the Right II, a far-right protest that took place a few weeks earlier.</p><p data-block-key=\"rvc4w\">Kuhn told Freedom of the Press Foundation that the subpoena was delivered to his mother’s house on Sept. 5. The subpoena ordered him to appear at the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia on the morning of Sept. 11 and to bring:</p></div>\n<div class=\"block-blockquote\">\n\n<blockquote class=\"blockquote\" cite=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4872898-Grand-jury-subpoena-to-Luke-Kuhn.html\">\n\t<div class=\"rich-text\"><p data-block-key=\"4kceg\">All recorded images, audio and data of protests near the White House, in Washington, D.C., on August 12, 2018, between the hours 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., that are contained in a hand-held, Canon, flip-screen camera, with a black hand strap, that you possessed within the District of Columbia on August 12, 2018.</p></div>\n\t\n\t\t<cite class=\"blockquote__citation\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"blockquote__link text-link\" href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4872898-Grand-jury-subpoena-to-Luke-Kuhn.html\">\n\t\t\t\t<p data-block-key=\"868it\">Grand jury subpoena to Luke Kuhn</p>\n\t\t\t</a>\n\t\t</cite>\n\t\n</blockquote>\n</div>\n<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"i9nll\">Kuhn said he was notified on the morning of Sept. 11 that the subpoena had been withdrawn.</p><p data-block-key=\"rrmmp\">Kuhn said that he was unsure why the grand jury was interested in his footage, but he speculated that federal prosecutors may wish to identify anti-fascist protesters who were present at the rally.</p><p data-block-key=\"9o1fe\">In 2016, a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia, indicted more than two hundred anti-fascist protesters (and two independent journalists) on federal rioting charges. Much of the evidence in those indictments came from seized video footage of the J20 protests.</p><p data-block-key=\"xdy5b\">“Under no circumstances would I comply with this, or any other, Grand Jury subpoena relating to people involved in social movements,” Kuhn said. </p><p data-block-key=\"flou6\">On a solidarity rally on the morning of Sept. 11 in Washington, D.C., Kuhn burned multiple copies of the subpoena.</p><p data-block-key=\"i9cwr\">William Miller, a public information officer at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, declined to comment on the subpoena.</p></div>",
"introduction": "",
"teaser": "",
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"image_caption": "",
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"unnecessary_use_of_force": false,
"case_number": null,
"case_type": null,
"status_of_seized_equipment": null,
"is_search_warrant_obtained": false,
"actor": null,
"border_point": null,
"target_us_citizenship_status": null,
"denial_of_entry": false,
"stopped_previously": false,
"did_authorities_ask_for_device_access": null,
"did_authorities_ask_about_work": null,
"assailant": null,
"was_journalist_targeted": null,
"charged_under_espionage_act": false,
"subpoena_type": "journalist communications or work product",
"name_of_business": null,
"third_party_business": null,
"legal_order_venue": "Federal",
"status_of_prior_restraint": null,
"mistakenly_released_materials": false,
"links": [],
"equipment_seized": [],
"equipment_broken": [],
"state": {
"name": "District of Columbia",
"abbreviation": "DC"
},
"updates": [],
"case_statuses": [],
"workers_whose_communications_were_obtained": [],
"target_nationality": [],
"targeted_institutions": [],
"tags": [
"white nationalism"
],
"politicians_or_public_figures_involved": [],
"authors": [],
"categories": [
"Subpoena/Legal Order"
],
"targeted_journalists": [
"Luke Kuhn (It's Going Down)"
],
"subpoena_statuses": [
"dropped"
],
"type_of_denial": []
},
{
"title": "Man arrested after threatening to shoot and kill Boston Globe staffers",
"url": "https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/man-arrested-after-threatening-shoot-and-kill-boston-globe-staffers/",
"first_published_at": "2018-08-30T18:28:04.492081Z",
"last_published_at": "2023-11-22T21:06:13.628951Z",
"latest_revision_created_at": "2023-11-22T21:06:13.514964Z",
"date": "2018-08-30",
"exact_date_unknown": false,
"city": "Boston",
"longitude": -71.05977,
"latitude": 42.35843,
"body": "<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"bqppi\">On Aug. 30, 2018, the FBI <a href=\"https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/man-allegedly-threatened-to-kill-enemy-of-the-people-at-boston-globe_us_5b87fbffe4b0162f47205e7b?f49\">arrested</a> a man in California who allegedly made repeated threats to kill employees of the Boston Globe newspaper.</p><p data-block-key=\"hkoff\">Robert Chain allegedly made 12 threatening calls to the Boston Globe newsroom between Aug. 10-17, and two more on Aug. 22.</p><p data-block-key=\"ujey7\">The calls began on Aug. 10, the same day that the Globe announced <a href=\"https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2018/08/10/newspaper-calls-for-war-of-words-against-trump-media-attacks\">a plan</a> for newspapers across the country to simultaneously publish editorials on Aug. 16 standing up for press freedom and criticizing President Donald Trump's relentless attacks on the press.</p><p data-block-key=\"pdeco\">During the calls, Chain allegedly <a href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/aug/30/boston-globe-man-arrested-death-threats-fbi-robert-chain\">threatened</a> to shoot and kill the paper's employees. He also repeated Trump's anti-media talking points, referring to the Globe as "the enemy of the people" and "fake news."</p><p data-block-key=\"ppikt\">"We are going to shoot you motherfuckers in the head, you Boston Globe cocksuckers," Chain said in an Aug. 13 call, according to court documents. "Shoot every fucking one of you."</p><p data-block-key=\"m6hht\">On Aug. 16, Trump attacked the Globe on Twitter, criticizing the paper for "COLLUSION with other papers on free press" and mentioning that it was once purchased by The New York Times company.</p></div>\n<div class=\"block-raw_html\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The Boston Globe, which was sold to the the Failing New York Times for 1.3 BILLION DOLLARS (plus 800 million dollars in losses & investment), or 2.1 BILLION DOLLARS, was then sold by the Times for 1 DOLLAR. Now the Globe is in COLLUSION with other papers on free press. PROVE IT!</p>— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href=\"https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1030091812495654912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 16, 2018</a></blockquote>\r\n<script async src=\"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"></script></div>\n<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"mleed\">Later that day, Chain made another threatening call to the Globe.</p><p data-block-key=\"l5ss0\">"You're the enemy of the people, and we're going to kill every fucking one of you ... I'm going to shoot you in the fucking head later today, at 4 o'clock," he allegedly said.</p><p data-block-key=\"bqjtm\">When Chain called the Globe again on Aug. 22, one of the paper's employees asked Chain why he kept calling and threatening them.</p><p data-block-key=\"gsevj\">"Because you are the enemy of the people, and I want you to go fuck yourself," he allegedly said. "As long as you keep attacking the President, the duly elected President of the United States, in the continuation of your treasonous and seditious acts, I will continue to [make] threats, harass, and annoy the Boston Globe, owned by The New York Times, the other fake news."</p><p data-block-key=\"f3450\">After reviewing firearms records, the FBI found that Chain owns multiple guns and had purchased a new rifle in May 2018.</p><p data-block-key=\"nsncw\">Chain is <a href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4801584-Robert-Chain.html\">charged</a> with one count of making interstate threats, a federal crime.</p></div>",
"introduction": "",
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"image_caption": "<p data-block-key=\"iobkc\">The Aug. 16, 2018, edition of the Boston Globe newspaper is seen on a newsstand in Massachusetts, with a front-page editorial defending press freedom.</p>",
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"(2019-04-22 13:05:00+00:00) Chain to plead guilty to threatening Boston Globe journalists",
"(2019-10-02 00:00:00+00:00) Man who threatened Globe newsroom sentenced to prison, fined"
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{
"title": "Journalist questioned at San Ysidro border crossing for third time",
"url": "https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/journalist-questioned-san-ysidro-border-crossing-third-time/",
"first_published_at": "2019-08-02T18:39:51.167748Z",
"last_published_at": "2024-01-09T16:29:39.257224Z",
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"date": "2018-08-22",
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"city": "San Diego",
"longitude": -117.16472,
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"body": "<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"e4rjo\">Freelance multimedia reporter Brooke Binkowski was stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers while she was re-entering the United States on Aug. 22, 2018, <a href=\"https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/?categories=5&targets=382\">the third time in two months</a> that she was directed to secondary screening.</p><p data-block-key=\"azoeo\">Binkowski, a U.S. citizen, told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker that she was crossing the border in the afternoon, around the same time she normally drives back to San Diego. As with previous stops, both she and her car were searched. When she told them she was a journalist, she was questioned about her reporting.</p><p data-block-key=\"etkob\">“They made me get out of my car and made me keep my phone in my pocket,” Binkowski told the Tracker. She said that while neither her phone nor any other electronic device has been searched during any of her experiences in secondary screening, it remains “a huge, huge fear.”</p><p data-block-key=\"kl1yf\">“[It’s] something for which I have my stepdad, a lawyer, on speed dial, but which has not yet happened,” Binkowski said. “But, I have not crossed with my laptop since 2017 out of those same concerns.”</p><p data-block-key=\"rt3sf\">Binkowski told the Tracker that her frustration with wait times when crossing the border—which is a mere 15 minute drive from her home in San Diego—pushed her to apply for Global Entry, NEXUS and SENTRI in the early 2000s. Each is a system by which travelers that are deemed low-risk through rigorous background checks or in-person interviews are pre-approved in order to be granted expedited clearance.</p><p data-block-key=\"xrr7f\">Despite having these pre-approvals, Binkowski said she was detained for approximately an hour during this screening before she was permitted to enter the U.S.</p></div>",
"introduction": "",
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"image_caption": "<p data-block-key=\"82nge\">Freelance journalist Brooke Binkowski, right, remained in secondary screening at the U.S.-Mexico border for more than an hour while she and her car were searched.</p>",
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"name": "California",
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"United States"
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{
"title": "Freelance reporter Karen Savage arrested for felony trespassing while covering anti-pipeline protest in Louisiana",
"url": "https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/freelance-reporter-karen-savage-arrested-felony-charges-while-covering-anti-pipeline-protest-louisiana/",
"first_published_at": "2018-10-26T19:46:07.826243Z",
"last_published_at": "2025-07-03T16:34:59.764553Z",
"latest_revision_created_at": "2025-07-03T16:34:59.591088Z",
"date": "2018-08-18",
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"city": "St. Martin Parish",
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"body": "<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p data-block-key=\"yj2eo\">On Aug. 18, 2018, freelance investigative reporter Karen Savage was arrested under a felony trespassing law, while reporting on protests against the construction of the Bayou Bridge oil pipeline in Louisiana. At the time, Savage was on assignment for The Appeal, a progressive news site focused on criminal justice issues.</p><p data-block-key=\"ltc9h\">Savage was embedded with a camp of protesters, known as water protectors, who were aiming to defend a piece of land in Louisiana’s Atchafalaya River Basin, a wetlands area co-owned by hundreds of people. Energy Transfer Partners, the company responsible for the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota, is trying to build its new Bayou Bridge oil pipeline through the area. Although some of the co-owners of the Atchafalaya Basin property have given the company permission to build the pipeline, hundreds of others have refused to do so. Despite this, the company had already begun making alterations to the land, including removing trees and digging a ditch. It has also asked the state of Louisiana to use eminent domain to seize the land from the co-owners who object to the pipeline.</p><p data-block-key=\"4fge5\">Savage told Freedom of the Press Foundation that one of the co-owners of the Atchafalaya Basin land who is <a href=\"https://www.nola.com/landowners-sue-bayou-bridge-claiming-pipeline-company-improperly-seized-private-land/article_ad04db97-1a9e-5965-a145-f9619b7fed21.html\">resisting the pipeline</a> had given her permission to be on the property.</p><p data-block-key=\"lg89e\">“Some were actively resisting, and I had a letter from a landowner saying we were welcome to be on the property,” she said. “For people to visit the property, you only need permission from one landowner.”</p><p data-block-key=\"tqlvc\">On Aug. 18, Savage was with three water protectors, taking pictures and reporting, when she was <a href=\"https://theintercept.com/2018/08/22/recent-arrests-under-new-anti-protest-law-spotlight-risks-that-off-duty-cops-pose-to-pipeline-opponents/\">arrested</a> by sheriff's deputies from the nearby St. Martin Parish.</p><p data-block-key=\"fn19q\">“I wasn’t even on the contested part of the land,” she said. “Sheriff’s deputies showed up and said I had to leave. I said I had permission to be there. I didn’t think I, or anyone else, would be arrested.”</p><p data-block-key=\"xffqm\">She showed the officer a photograph of letter she had from a landowner, granting her permission to remain on the property. She said that she urged the officer to call the landowner, but he declined to do so. Officers then arrested her and the three water protectors who were with her.</p><p data-block-key=\"dvkpg\">Savage was one of the first people to be arrested under a <a href=\"https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bayou-bridge-activists-anti-protest-law-is-anti-american_n_5ba53c4ce4b0181540dcd246\">newly-enacted Louisiana state law</a> against “unauthorized entry of a critical infrastructure project,” which went into effect on Aug. 1. The new Louisiana state law makes trespassing on a “critical infrastructure project” like an oil pipeline a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. (Trespassing on land that is not a “critical infrastructure project” remains a misdemeanor.)</p><p data-block-key=\"mps3x\">Although Savage was arrested under the law, the local district attorney has not yet brought any criminal charges against her.</p><p data-block-key=\"p86gx\">After Savage was released on bail, she returned to the area to continue reporting on the protests against the Bayou Bridge pipeline.</p><p data-block-key=\"6cek7\">“I bonded out, and kept reporting,” she said. “I wasn’t going to be intimidated.”</p><p data-block-key=\"nu7u3\">She later published <a href=\"https://theappeal.org/louisiana-police-arrest-bayou-bridge-pipeline-protesters/\">a piece in The Appeal</a> about her arrest and the way that Energy Transfer Partners employs off-duty law enforcement officers as a private security force, which works closely with uniformed St. Martin Parish sheriff's deputies to arrest pipeline protesters.</p><p data-block-key=\"uwa5b\">The St. Martin’s Sheriff Department did not respond to request for comment.</p></div>",
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"case_number": "6:20-cv-00983",
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"state": {
"name": "Louisiana",
"abbreviation": "LA"
},
"updates": [
"(2024-03-28 00:00:00+00:00) Judge dismisses journalist's First Amendment claims stemming from Louisiana arrests",
"(2021-07-13 00:00:00+00:00) Charges dropped against investigative journalist who sued following arrests in Louisiana",
"(2024-04-22 00:00:00+00:00) Journalist appeals dismissal of First Amendment claims",
"(2025-06-20 16:34:00+00:00) Appeals court dismisses First Amendment claims in pipeline protest reporting case"
],
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"tags": [
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"categories": [
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},
{
"title": "Photojournalist covering DC protest 'decked' in face by police officer",
"url": "https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/photojournalist-covering-dc-protest-decked-face-police-officer/",
"first_published_at": "2018-09-10T20:57:41.759923Z",
"last_published_at": "2021-10-20T20:36:32.891406Z",
"latest_revision_created_at": "2021-10-20T20:36:32.846226Z",
"date": "2018-08-12",
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"city": "Washington",
"longitude": -77.03637,
"latitude": 38.89511,
"body": "<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p>While covering the Unite the Right II protest in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 12, 2018, freelance photojournalist Shay Horse was shoved against a police van and hit in the face by a police officer.</p><p>Horse told Freedom of the Press Foundation that police interfered as he and other members of the press followed a group of protesters, including white supremacist Jason Kessler, as they moved from Foggy Bottom to the White House.</p><p>“When we got there, police starting shoving everyone because they thought we were too close,” he said. “They shoved us up again the side and hood of a van. They kept screaming, ‘move,’ but I kept thinking, ‘where?’ There was no rhyme or reason to it. I was left to wonder what ‘move’ could possibly mean.”</p><p>Horse said that one police officer “decked” him in the face with his hand, making contact with his chin and the left side of his face.</p><p>“I was trying to take photos of Kessler,” he said. “Being shoved and hit makes that a little hard.”</p><p>Although the hit did not bruise, Horse said that his jaw hurt for days after the incident.</p><p>Horse estimated that a total of 10–15 people were pushed up against the side of the van, and that it seemed like all but perhaps one of them were members of the press.</p><p>Horse said that the Metropolitan Police Department used aggressive tactics against protesters and the press, adding that it seemed as though the police were preparing for a major confrontation that never materialized. </p><p>“They were on top of protesters the whole day,” he said. “It seemed strange that MPD was so eager to kettle people.”</p></div>",
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"state": {
"name": "District of Columbia",
"abbreviation": "DC"
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"tags": [
"kettle",
"protest",
"white nationalism"
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"categories": [
"Assault"
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{
"title": "DC police officer assaults freelance photographer Craig Ruttle at demonstration",
"url": "https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/dc-police-officer-assaults-freelance-photographer-craig-ruttle-demonstration/",
"first_published_at": "2018-09-06T21:29:56.440747Z",
"last_published_at": "2021-10-19T20:19:14.586994Z",
"latest_revision_created_at": "2021-10-19T20:19:14.539200Z",
"date": "2018-08-12",
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"city": "Washington",
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"latitude": 38.89511,
"body": "<div class=\"block-rich_text\"><p>Freelance photojournalist Craig Ruttle was documenting a far-right protest in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 12, 2018, when a police officer charged at him and body-slammed him.</p><p>Ruttle was covering the white supremacist rally Unite the Right II for Newsday. Ruttle tried to photograph a group of approximately 20 white nationalists, who emerged from the Foggy Bottom metro station and were soon surrounded by Metropolitan Police Department officers. </p><p>“The scene was chaotic,” Ruttle told Freedom of the Press Foundation, describing the way that police officers on bicycles and motorcycles formed a “protective envelope” around the group.</p><p>Ruttle said that while he followed the marchers, he saw a police officer in front of him tip his bicycle over. Instinctively, Ruttle reached out to help the officer.</p><p>“He was having trouble getting back on,” Ruttle said. “To be honest, I’m not sure what was going through my mind, but if someone falls over, I try to reach for them, whether they’re a cop or activist or anyone else.”</p><p>Ruttle put his hand on the officer’s back and asked the officer if he was okay. That’s when he spotted another officer running toward him.</p><p>“For a split second I saw him running at me at what appeared to be full speed, and then he crashed into me,” Ruttle said. “Getting hit by a bulletproof vest is a hard service. I’ve been hit and shoved before, but that was like a football block. I saw black for a split second.”</p><p>“He got me in the chin real hard,” he added.</p><p>Although the impact rattled him, Ruttle remained on his feet. He said that he gave the officer who hit him some “choice words” and then explained that he was trying to assist the officer who had fallen off his bike. Ruttle said that the officer who hit him just walked backwards, pointed at him, and told him not to “do that again.” Then the officer disappeared.</p><p>At the time he was hit, Ruttle said, he was carrying three cameras and wearing his press credentials. </p><p>Ruttle said that he was able to continue his work documenting the rest of the rally, but his jaw remained sore sore for a week after the incident.</p><p>Ruttle has not been able to get anyone from the MPD to explain why an officer charged at him and hit him in the chin.</p><p>“I tried to engage with [the officer] later in the march, and he refused to make eye contact,” Ruttle said. “The only thing I can say is that he either thought I was trying to push his fellow officer to the ground, or he didn’t like that I had a hand on him.”</p><p>Ruttle said that he called the MPD's public relations division in an attempt to understand what happened. Although the department took down his name and number, and promised to call him back, he said that he has not received any further communication from the MPD.</p><p>The MPD did not respond to a request for comment from Freedom of the Press Foundation.</p><p>Ruttle said the police officers at the Unite the Right II rally used aggressive tactics and seemed to have a “low tolerance threshold.”</p><p>“The cops put a group in the front, and they were being very aggressive,” he said. “You’d stop to take a picture, and backwalk, and it was never fast enough. I would try to take some pictures and they would push me, and as I’d walk further away to give them space, they'd shove me more. I got most of my shoves from the back. I was really impressed at how aggressive they were.”</p><p>Ruttle noted that freelance journalists in particular have to make difficult decisions about how far they are willing to for their reporting: “Is this day important enough for me as a freelance journalist to find myself in jail with no support? And have to deal with the legal system? Is it worth me risking getting hurt?”</p></div>",
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]
