Incident Database

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Miami freelancer has phone and camera seized by police

Incident Details

Date of incident: May 25, 2019
Location: Miami, Florida
Targets: Jacob Katel (Freelance)

Equipment searched or seized →: Cellphone, 1

Camera, 1
Status of equipment →: Returned in full
Search warrant obtained →: No

Freelance reporter stopped while crossing border; passport card photographed

Incident Details

Date of incident: May 24, 2019
Location: San Diego, California
Targets: Nate Abaurrea (Freelance)

Border point →: San Ysidro Port of Entry
Target nationality →: United States
US citizenship status of target →: U.S. citizen
Denied entry? →: No
Stopped previously? →: No
Asked for device access? →: No
Asked intrusive questions about work? →: Yes

Student journalist subpoenaed for documents and reporting materials as part of dispute between university, foundation

Incident Details

Updated on: April 23, 2024
Date of incident: May 22, 2019
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Targets: Euirim Choi (The [University of] Chicago Maroon)

Legal orders →: subpoena for communications or work product

May 22, 2019: Pending

June 3, 2019: Objected to

Unknown date: Dropped
Legal order target →: Journalist
Legal order venue →: Federal

Alaska radio reporter attacked while covering abortion demonstration

Incident Details

Date of incident: May 21, 2019
Location: Soldotna, Alaska
Targets: Jennifer Williams (KSRM)

Assailant →: Unknown
Was the journalist targeted? →: Unknown

Student newspaper subpoenaed for documents and reporting materials as part of $100 million dispute

Incident Details

Updated on: April 23, 2024
Date of incident: May 17, 2019
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Targets: The [University of] Chicago Maroon

Legal orders →: subpoena for communications or work product

May 19, 2019: Pending

Unknown date: Dropped
Legal order target →: Institution
Legal order venue →: Federal

Hawaii reporter denied access to cover Army meeting

Incident Details

Date of incident: May 16, 2019
Location: Hilo, Hawaii
Targets: Nancy Cook Lauer (West Hawaii Today)

Government agency or public official involved →: Law enforcement: Military
Type of denial →: Government event

Rolling Stone journalist stopped for secondary screening, has electronics searched while asked invasive questions about reporting

Incident Details

Date of incident: May 13, 2019
Location: Austin, Texas
Targets: Seth Harp (Rolling Stone)

Border point →: Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
Target nationality →: United States
US citizenship status of target →: U.S. citizen
Denied entry? →: No
Stopped previously? →: Yes
Asked for device access? →: Yes
Asked intrusive questions about work? →: Yes

Equipment searched or seized →: Cellphone, 1

Computer, 1

Work product, 1
Status of equipment →: Returned in full
Search warrant obtained →: No

Military prosecutor embeds secret tracking code in email to journalist, defense attorneys

Incident Details

Date of incident: May 12, 2019
Location: San Diego, California
Targets: Carl Prine (Navy Times)

Equipment searched or seized →: Work product, 1
Status of equipment →: In custody
Search warrant obtained →: No

San Francisco police use search warrant to raid home, office of independent journalist

Incident Details

Updated on: May 26, 2020
Date of incident: May 10, 2019
Location: San Francisco, California
Targets: Bryan Carmody (North Bay News)

Arrest status →: Detained and released without being processed
Arresting authority →: San Francisco Police Department
Unnecessary use of force? →: No

Equipment searched or seized →: Camera, 2

Cellphone, 12

Computer, 11

Storage device, 11

Work product, 3
Status of equipment →: Returned in full
Search warrant obtained →: Yes

Legal orders →: warrant for communications or work product

March 1, 2019: Pending

March 24, 2019: Carried out

May 30, 2019: Objected to

July 18, 2019: Quashed

warrant for communications or work product

March 16, 2019: Pending

May 29, 2019: Carried out

May 30, 2019: Objected to

Aug. 20, 2019: Quashed

warrant for testimony about confidential source

April 16, 2019: Pending

May 29, 2019: Carried out

May 30, 2019: Objected to

Aug. 2, 2019: Quashed
Legal order target →: Journalist
Legal order venue →: State

Former intelligence analyst charged with leaking classified documents to reporter

Incident Details

Updated on: July 27, 2021
Date of incident: May 9, 2019
Location: Alexandria, Virginia

Charged under Espionage Act →: Yes

Connecticut reporter arrested and briefly detained while covering demonstration

Incident Details

Updated on: October 22, 2019
Date of incident: May 9, 2019
Location: Bridgeport, Connecticut
Targets: Tara O'Neill (Hearst Connecticut Media Group)

Arrest status →: Detained and released without being processed
Arresting authority →: Bridgeport Police Department
Detention date →: May 9, 2019
Release date →: May 9, 2019
Unnecessary use of force? →: No

Florida man arrested for assaulting journalist, shattering windshield

Incident Details

Updated on: February 8, 2021
Date of incident: May 3, 2019
Location: Altamonte Springs, Florida
Targets: Albert “David” Bodden (WOFL)

Assailant →: Private individual
Was the journalist targeted? →: Yes

Equipment damaged →: Vehicle, 1
Actor →: Private individual

Two reporters forced out of restaurant, equipment attacked

Incident Details

Date of incident: May 1, 2019
Location: Lithonia, Georgia
Targets: Dimitri Lotovski (WANF)

Assailant →: Private individual
Was the journalist targeted? →: Yes

Independent journalist files assault charges following May Day protests

Incident Details

Updated on: August 21, 2023
Date of incident: May 1, 2019
Location: Portland, Oregon
Case number: 20CV19618
Targets: Andy Ngo (Independent)
Case status: Settled
Type of case: Civil

Assailant →: Private individual
Was the journalist targeted? →: Yes

Ohio editor testifies at Oberlin College defamation trial

Incident Details

Date of incident: April 29, 2019
Location: Oberlin, Ohio
Targets: Jason Hawk (Oberlin News-Tribune)

Legal orders →: subpoena for other testimony

April 29, 2019: Pending

May 10, 2019: Carried out
Legal order target →: Journalist
Legal order venue →: State

Colorado newspaper denied access to cover horse roundup

Incident Details

Date of incident: April 24, 2019
Location: Colorado
Targets: The [Cortez] Journal

Government agency or public official involved →: Federal government: Agency
Type of denial →: Government event

Baltimore court denies reporters access to courtroom audio recordings

Incident Details

Date of incident: April 24, 2019
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Targets: Justine Barron (Independent), Paul McGrew (WBFF)

Government agency or public official involved →: Judiciary: State Court
Type of denial →: Change in policy or practice, Other

Tennessee Highway Patrol blocks reporters from covering protest, threaten with arrest

Incident Details

Date of incident: April 16, 2019
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Targets: Joel Ebert (The Tennessean), Kyle Horan (WTVF), Natalie Allison (The Tennessean), Sergio Martínez-Beltrán (Nashville Public Radio)

Government agency or public official involved →: Law enforcement: State
Type of denial →: Other

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrested and charged with conspiracy

Incident Details

Updated on: June 26, 2024
Date of incident: April 11, 2019
Location: Alexandria, Virginia
Targets: Julian Assange (WikiLeaks)

Arrest status →: Charged without arrest
Arresting authority →: U.S. Department of Justice
Charges →: Espionage: conspiracy to commit computer intrusion

March 6, 2018: Charges pending

May 23, 2019: Charges pending

June 24, 2020: Charges pending

June 25, 2024: Charges dropped

Espionage: conspiracy to obtain, receive, & disclose national defense information

May 23, 2019: Charges pending

June 24, 2020: Charges pending

June 25, 2024: Charges pending

June 26, 2024: Convicted

Espionage: unauthorized obtaining of national defense information

May 23, 2019: Charges pending

June 24, 2020: Charges pending

June 25, 2024: Charges dropped

Espionage: unauthorized obtaining of national defense information

May 23, 2019: Charges pending

June 24, 2020: Charges pending

June 25, 2024: Charges dropped

Espionage: unauthorized obtaining of national defense information

May 23, 2019: Charges pending

June 24, 2020: Charges pending

June 25, 2024: Charges dropped

Espionage: attempted unauthorized obtaining and receiving of national defense information

May 23, 2019: Charges pending

June 24, 2020: Charges pending

June 25, 2024: Charges dropped

Espionage: unauthorized obtaining and receiving of national defense information

May 23, 2019: Charges pending

June 24, 2020: Charges pending

June 25, 2024: Charges dropped

Espionage: unauthorized obtaining and receiving of national defense information

May 23, 2019: Charges pending

June 24, 2020: Charges pending

June 25, 2024: Charges dropped

Espionage: unauthorized obtaining and receiving of national defense information

May 23, 2019: Charges pending

June 24, 2020: Charges pending

June 25, 2024: Charges dropped

Espionage: unauthorized disclosure of national defense information

May 23, 2019: Charges pending

June 24, 2020: Charges pending

June 25, 2024: Charges dropped

Espionage: unauthorized disclosure of national defense information

May 23, 2019: Charges pending

June 24, 2020: Charges pending

June 25, 2024: Charges dropped

Espionage: unauthorized disclosure of national defense information

May 23, 2019: Charges pending

June 24, 2020: Charges pending

June 25, 2024: Charges dropped

Espionage: unauthorized disclosure of national defense information

May 23, 2019: Charges pending

June 24, 2020: Charges pending

June 25, 2024: Charges dropped

Espionage: unauthorized disclosure of national defense information

May 23, 2019: Charges pending

June 24, 2020: Charges pending

June 25, 2024: Charges dropped

Espionage: unauthorized disclosure of national defense information

May 23, 2019: Charges pending

June 24, 2020: Charges pending

June 25, 2024: Charges dropped

Espionage: unauthorized disclosure of national defense information

May 23, 2019: Charges pending

June 24, 2020: Charges pending

June 25, 2024: Charges dropped

Espionage: unauthorized disclosure of national defense information

May 23, 2019: Charges pending

June 24, 2020: Charges pending

June 25, 2024: Charges dropped

Espionage: unauthorized disclosure of national defense information

May 23, 2019: Charges pending

June 24, 2020: Charges pending

June 25, 2024: Charges dropped
Detention date →: April 11, 2019
Release date →: June 24, 2024
Unnecessary use of force? →: No

Legal orders →: other for other

June 10, 2019: Pending

Jan. 4, 2021: Quashed

July 7, 2021: Objected to

Dec. 10, 2021: Upheld

March 14, 2022: Objected to

June 17, 2022: Upheld

July 1, 2022: Objected to

June 6, 2023: Upheld

Feb. 20, 2024: Objected to

May 20, 2024: Pending

June 25, 2024: Dropped
Legal order target →: Journalist
Legal order venue →: Federal