first_published_at,last_published_at,title,slug,latest_revision_created_at,charges,legal_orders,updates,categories,links,equipment_seized,equipment_broken,targeted_journalists,authors,date,exact_date_unknown,city,state,latitude,longitude,body,introduction,teaser,teaser_image,primary_video,image_caption,arrest_status,arresting_authority,release_date,detention_date,unnecessary_use_of_force,case_number,case_statuses,case_type,status_of_seized_equipment,is_search_warrant_obtained,actor,border_point,target_us_citizenship_status,denial_of_entry,stopped_previously,did_authorities_ask_for_device_access,did_authorities_ask_about_work,assailant,was_journalist_targeted,charged_under_espionage_act,subpoena_type,subpoena_statuses,name_of_business,third_party_business,legal_order_target,legal_order_type,legal_order_venue,status_of_prior_restraint,mistakenly_released_materials,type_of_denial,targeted_institutions,tags,target_nationality,workers_whose_communications_were_obtained,politicians_or_public_figures_involved 2024-03-01 18:16:56.949951+00:00,2024-03-26 21:07:12.848236+00:00,Former Fox News reporter held in contempt for refusing to comply with subpoena,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/former-fox-news-reporter-held-in-contempt-for-refusing-to-comply-with-subpoena/,2024-03-26 21:07:12.754539+00:00,contempt of court (convicted as of 2024-02-29),,,Arrest/Criminal Charge,,,,Catherine Herridge (Fox News),,2024-02-29,False,Washington,District of Columbia (DC),38.89511,-77.03637,"
Journalist Catherine Herridge was held in civil contempt on Feb. 29, 2024, for refusing to comply with a subpoena compelling her to reveal a confidential source, according to court documents reviewed by the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker.
The ruling stemmed from a series of Fox News investigative online articles and broadcast reports by then-correspondent Herridge published in early 2017 about a federal investigation into the possible foreign military ties of a Chinese American scientist, Yanping Chen.
The articles cited, and included excerpts of, materials from the investigation, such as FBI interviews, Chen’s immigration forms and photos of her in a Chinese military uniform. The six-year investigation was concluded in 2016.
No charges were brought against Chen, and in December 2018 she sued the FBI and the departments of Justice, Defense and Homeland Security, arguing that investigators violated her rights under the Privacy Act when her personal information was leaked to Herridge.
Chen subpoenaed Herridge in June 2022, seeking documents, communications and testimony concerning the federal investigation as well as sufficient information to identify her source. Fox News and producers Pamela K. Browne and Cyd Upson — who were also bylined on the articles — received similar subpoenas for documents and testimony. The Tracker has documented each of the subpoenas here.
While U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper quashed the requests for documents, he ruled in August 2023 that the identity of the confidential source was central to the lawsuit’s claim and ordered Herridge to testify about her reporting and any sources. “Chen’s need for the requested evidence overcomes Herridge’s qualified First Amendment privilege,” he wrote.
Herridge sat for a deposition in September, but refused to answer any questions about the identity or intent of her sources, according to court filings.
Herridge attempted to appeal the ruling, but was instructed by the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals that the proper procedure required her to refuse to comply and then appeal the resulting contempt order. In November 2023, Chen asked the court to hold Herridge in contempt and proposed a graduated fine of $500 a day for the first seven days, $1,000 a day the following week and $5,000 for each day after.
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press filed an amicus brief in support of Herridge, arguing that holding her in contempt would have a significant chilling effect on national security reporting.
“The ability of journalists to assure sources that their identities will remain confidential is central to preserving the press’s structural role as a check on government, particularly in the national security sphere,” RCFP wrote. “When sources stop talking to journalists because they fear that their identities cannot be protected, that loss impairs the electorate’s ability to make informed political, social, and economic decisions, and to hold elected officials and others in power accountable.”
Cooper held Herridge in contempt in February 2024. “The Court does not reach this result lightly,” Cooper wrote in his decision. “Herridge and many of her colleagues in the journalism community may disagree with that decision and prefer that a different balance be struck, but she is not permitted to flout a federal court’s order with impunity.”
He ordered that Herridge be fined $800 a day until she complies with the subpoena, but stayed the fine for 30 days or until an appeal of the ruling is completed, whichever comes later.
Neither Herridge nor her attorney were immediately available to comment.
A portion of the order holding former Fox News reporter Catherine Herridge in civil contempt on Feb. 29, 2024, for her refusal to comply with a subpoena seeking testimony about a confidential source.
",charged without arrest,U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,None,None,None,None,None,None,None,False,[],,,,, 2023-11-22 21:03:11.987506+00:00,2023-11-22 21:03:11.987506+00:00,Freelance journalist detained while reporting on climate activists,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/freelance-journalist-detained-while-reporting-on-climate-activists/,2023-11-22 20:30:55.121518+00:00,,,,"Arrest/Criminal Charge, Assault",,,,Will Allen-DuPraw (News2Share),,2023-11-17,False,Washington,District of Columbia (DC),38.89511,-77.03637,"Freelance journalist Will Allen-DuPraw was detained by security at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., while reporting on climate activists at the museum on Nov. 17, 2023.
Allen-DuPraw told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker that he was on assignment for News2Share, a collective that sells footage to news outlets, to film as two protesters handed out flyers encouraging museum patrons to call on President Joe Biden to declare a climate emergency.
Security officers told the protesters they needed to leave after approximately 20 minutes, Allen-DuPraw said, and he continued to film as one of them refused to immediately leave and was walked out in handcuffs. Shortly after, Allen-DuPraw was handcuffed as well.
In footage posted by News2Share co-founder and Editor-in-Chief Ford Fischer, Allen-DuPraw can be heard asking the detained protester whether he had any statements to make as a security officer led him away in handcuffs. As the man begins to answer, one security guard blocks the journalist’s camera while a second begins to place Allen-DuPraw under arrest.
“All of the sudden I was pushed from behind up against a pillar in the museum,” Allen-DuPraw said. “He seemed to be more of an actual police officer, he was wearing a white shirt and had a badge.”
The National Gallery employs a mix of federal and private security staff and it was unclear which were involved in the detention.
Allen-DuPraw said he identified himself as a journalist and while he wasn’t wearing credentials, he had his National Press Photographers Association identification in his wallet.
“Sir, I’m an independent journalist, you cannot put your hands on me, sir,” Allen-DuPraw said. “You have no reason to detain me, I’m on assignment right now recording and exercising my First Amendment rights.”
VIDEO THREAD: On Friday, as freelance journalist @wallendupraw filmed two climate activists and one bystander be handcuffed and detained over flyering in the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, security handcuffed and detained him as well, apparently for filming. pic.twitter.com/FKBiogCCQD
— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) November 18, 2023
The security officer is heard telling him that he will “come down” with the officers, they’ll identify him and then he can do whatever he wants to do. When Allen-DuPraw asks why he is being detained, the officer does not reply.
The National Gallery of Art did not respond to requests for comment.
Allen-DuPraw told the Tracker that he was led down to the basement conference room and, once there, he was patted down, his pockets emptied and his photo taken from the front and side by an officer. After approximately 30 minutes, he, the two protesters and the bystander were released without charges.
Allen-DuPraw said that it was particularly alarming that — despite identifying himself as a journalist to multiple officers — no effort was made to verify his press credentials. “A lack of training was just evident,” he added.
Freelance journalist Will Allen-DuPraw, center, was detained while on assignment for News2Share documenting climate activists distributing flyers at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 17, 2023.
",detained and released without being processed,National Gallery of Art Protection Services,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,private security,yes,False,None,None,None,None,None,None,None,None,False,[],,"environmentalism, protest",,, 2021-01-08 16:07:15.867058+00:00,2022-08-04 21:26:38.740493+00:00,Independent journalist briefly detained amid DC riots,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/independent-journalist-briefly-detained-amid-dc-riots/,2022-08-04 21:26:38.662696+00:00,,,,Arrest/Criminal Charge,,,,Talia (Jane) Ben-Ora (Freelance),,2021-01-06,False,Washington,District of Columbia (DC),38.89511,-77.03637,"Independent journalist Talia Jane was briefly detained while documenting riots in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021.
Jane was documenting via Twitter protests and demonstrations unfolding in downtown D.C., organized around the Congressional certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. President Donald Trump held a rally in front of the White House and called on his supporters to protest the vote on the basis of unfounded claims of election fraud. Hoards of his supporters then marched to the Capitol, swarmed the building and broke inside, Reuters reported.
In response to the violence at the Capitol, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a public emergency and issued a curfew order from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. the following morning. The order explicitly exempted journalists and other essential workers.
Jane told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker via direct messages that she was at the Capitol at around 7:30 p.m. to document a small group of Trump supporters who were trying to defy the curfew order.
“MPD [Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia] made three warnings for people to leave within the space of a minute or two, then started moving people back,” Jane said. “Eventually they formed a big circle, told me because I was press I could leave any time but didn’t answer questions about non-press people still there.”
Moments later, an officer in a white shirt told the others to start grabbing people, Jane said.
An officer placed his hand on her shoulder and began escorting her out of the police “kettle,” a police tactic of encircling a crowd which is often followed with mass citations or arrests. Jane said that she was not released, but led to two coach buses alongside the other detainees.
Two Washington Post journalists, Zoeann Murphy and Whitney Leaming, were also detained within the police kettle. The Tracker has documented those detentions here.
Jane said that she continued to film the scene and attempted to ask both her arresting officer and the commanding officers at the scene whether press were exempted from the curfew, but they ignored her.
“Still on my phone, not zip tied, just being held by my backpack so I can’t move around too much,” Jane said.
When she reached the front of the line, Jane said one of the commanding officers examined her press badge and asked which outlets she works for, and she listed a few.
“Satisfied, he tells me they’re going to let me go but on the caveat I head straight home.”
They grabbed me, walked me to the...coach buses(?) they’re putting detainees in. Divided the people by male/female. Once it got to be my turn, Captain JR Haines looked at my press badge, said he’d let me go. Asked if press are included in curfew, he said “I don’t know” & laughed
— TALIA JANE (@itsa_talia) January 7, 2021
Jane said she was released at approximately 7:45 p.m., then remained at the scene for a while with other members of the press. She said she was not hassled further by the police.
When reached by phone, a spokesperson for MPDC told the Tracker that it could not comment beyond this statement: “When we detain any reporters, it’s to maintain order and safety.”
The spokesperson said she could not comment further on the specifics of any case. The Tracker was then asked that any questions about the department’s use of kettling be sent via email. The department did not immediately respond to those or previously emailed questions.
Rioters stormed the Capitol to disrupt the certification of President-elect Joe Biden's victory on Jan. 6, 2020. Three journalists were detained after a curfew was ordered in response to the violence.
",detained and released without being processed,Metropolitan Police Department,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,None,,"Donald Trump, election, Election 2020, kettle, protest",,, 2021-01-08 16:22:06.345210+00:00,2022-08-04 21:26:52.786278+00:00,Two Washington Post video journalists detained in police ‘kettle’ during DC riot,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/two-washington-post-video-journalists-detained-in-police-kettle-during-dc-riot/,2022-08-04 21:26:52.720345+00:00,,,,Arrest/Criminal Charge,,,,Whitney Leaming (The Washington Post),,2021-01-06,False,Washington,District of Columbia (DC),38.89511,-77.03637,"The Washington Post video journalist Whitney Leaming was detained alongside a colleague while documenting riots in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021.
Leaming and fellow Post video journalist Zoeann Murphy were covering protests and demonstrations in downtown D.C., The Post reported, organized around the Congressional certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. President Donald Trump held a rally in front of the White House and called on his supporters to protest the vote on the basis of unfounded claims of election fraud. Hoards of his supporters then marched to the Capitol, swarmed the building and broke inside, Reuters reported.
In response to the violence at the Capitol, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a public emergency and issued a curfew order from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. the following morning. The order explicitly exempted journalists and other essential workers.
Murphy told The Post in a live interview that the two journalists had been entrapped by Metropolitan Police Department officers using a technique known as “kettling,” wherein police surround a group from all sides to prevent exit. Murphy spoke to the outlet live while they were being detained, as Leaming continued to film the scene.
With @wleaming, still rolling the camera while we were being arrested for filming protests outside the Capitol. pic.twitter.com/PcEiwz28DU
— Zoeann Murphy (@ZoeannMurphy) January 7, 2021
Independent journalist Talia Jane was also detained in the kettle. The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker has documented her detention here.
Murphy said that police confirmed multiple times that the journalists were under arrest, but did not provide further explanation, even though both Leaming and Murphy identified themselves as members of the press.
While speaking live with The Post at approximately 7:40 p.m., Murphy suddenly said that officers had decided to allow press to leave the scene after providing media credentials. She said she had her Washington Post press badge and was wearing a fleece with the news outlet’s name on it. In a video posted to Twitter by Murphy following their release, Leaming can be seen carrying a large camera and backpack with equipment.
The Tracker has documented Murphy’s detainment here.
The journalists were detained alongside the demonstrators for violating curfew Murphy told the Post.
Murphy told the Tracker that after they were released the police were “completely polite” to the pair as they continued documenting the scene for approximately 30 minutes.
A spokesperson for The Post said in a statement to The Wrap, “Our journalists were just doing their jobs and should never have been arrested in the first place. However, we’re pleased that police quickly released them.”
When reached by phone, a spokesperson for MPDC told the Tracker that it could not comment beyond this statement: “When we detain any reporters, it’s to maintain order and safety.”
The spokesperson said she could not comment further on the specifics of any case. The Tracker was then asked that any questions about the department’s use of kettling be sent via email. The department did not immediately respond to those or previously emailed questions.
This article has been updated to include comment from Zoeann Murphy.
Police stand guard at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., following a Jan. 6, 2021 riot against the certification of presidential election results by Congress.
",detained and released without being processed,Metropolitan Police Department,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,None,,"Donald Trump, election, Election 2020, kettle, protest",,, 2021-01-08 16:32:01.028410+00:00,2022-08-04 21:27:55.958623+00:00,Washington Post video journalists detained in police ‘kettle’ during DC riot,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/washington-post-video-journalists-detained-in-police-kettle-during-dc-riot/,2022-08-04 21:27:55.888149+00:00,,,,Arrest/Criminal Charge,,,,Zoeann Murphy (The Washington Post),,2021-01-06,False,Washington,District of Columbia (DC),38.89511,-77.03637,"The Washington Post video journalist Zoeann Murphy was detained alongside a colleague while documenting riots in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021.
Murphy and fellow Post video journalist Whitney Leaming were covering protests and demonstrations in downtown D.C., The Post reported, organized around the Congressional certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. President Donald Trump held a rally in front of the White House and called on his supporters to protest the vote on the basis of unfounded claims of election fraud. Hoards of his supporters then marched to the Capitol, swarmed the building and broke inside, Reuters reported.
In response to the violence at the Capitol, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser declared a public emergency and issued a curfew order from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. the following morning. The order explicitly exempted journalists and other essential workers.
Murphy told The Post in a live interview that the two journalists had been entrapped by Metropolitan Police Department officers using a technique known as “kettling,” wherein police surround a group from all sides to prevent exit. Murphy spoke to the outlet live while they were being detained, as Leaming continued to film the scene.
Some days are like this. Body armor, helmet, getting arrested while filming a siege on the Capitol. #journalism pic.twitter.com/i8i6bD4o5q
— Zoeann Murphy (@ZoeannMurphy) January 7, 2021
Independent journalist Talia Jane was also detained in the kettle. The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker has documented her detention here.
Murphy told the Tracker, “We got kettled, and that happens. But usually I can just go up to a police officer and say, ‘We’re media,’ and they just let us out of the kettle. And in this situation they did not.”
Murphy said in the livestream that police confirmed multiple times that the journalists were under arrest, but did not provide further explanation, even though both Leaming and Murphy identified themselves as members of the press.
“I have a credential: a Washington Post credential press badge that I wear. And then I actually have my Washington Post fleece on today as well,” Murphy said.
At approximately 7:40 p.m., while still live with The Post, Murphy can be heard saying, “They’ve just told us that they’re letting the press go and have told us that we can go.”
Both journalists were released shortly after showing officers their media credentials. The Tracker has documented Leaming’s detainment here.
The journalists were detained alongside the demonstrators for violating curfew, Murphy told the Post.
Murphy told the Tracker that after they were released the police were “completely polite” to the pair as they continued documenting the scene for approximately 30 minutes.
A spokesperson for The Post said in a statement to The Wrap, “Our journalists were just doing their jobs and should never have been arrested in the first place. However, we’re pleased that police quickly released them.”
When reached by phone, a spokesperson for MPDC told the Tracker that it could not comment beyond this statement: “When we detain any reporters, it’s to maintain order and safety.”
The spokesperson said she could not comment further on the specifics of any case. The Tracker was then asked that any questions about the department’s use of kettling be sent via email. The department did not immediately respond to those or previously emailed questions.
This article has been updated to include comment from Zoeann Murphy.
Police in Washington, D.C. stand guard at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, following riots against Congress’ certification of the 2020 presidential election results. A curfew was issued following the breaching of the Capitol.
",detained and released without being processed,Metropolitan Police Department,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,None,,"Donald Trump, election, Election 2020, kettle, protest",,, 2021-08-24 19:49:59.038607+00:00,2022-09-09 17:08:37.559769+00:00,"ACLU files for ‘false imprisonment’ against Washington, D.C., police after photojournalist arrested, equipment seized",https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/aclu-files-for-false-imprisonment-against-washington-dc-police-after-photojournalist-arrested-equipment-seized/,2022-09-09 17:08:37.461961+00:00,rioting (charges dropped as of 2020-08-31),,"(2022-08-29 13:08:00+00:00) Judge dismisses photojournalists’ lawsuit against DC government, police","Arrest/Criminal Charge, Assault, Equipment Search or Seizure",,"cellphone: count of 1, camera: count of 1",,Oyoma Asinor (Independent),,2020-08-31,False,Washington,District of Columbia (DC),38.89511,-77.03637,"Oyoma Asinor, an independent photographer, was covering a Black Lives Matter protest in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 31, 2020, when he was arrested by D.C. police and his camera and other equipment seized.
According to an ACLU of DC lawsuit filed on Asinor’s behalf in August 2021, Asinor arrived around midnight at Black Lives Matter Plaza to cover a BLM protest and found Metropolitan Police officers with shields and helmets standing in front of St. John’s Church, where barricades had been set up.
Protesters stood directly in front of the barricades, chanting, as Asinor moved around the intersection of 16th and H Streets taking photographs.
A group of MPD officers formed a line in the intersection of 16th and H Street, across H Street, blocking people from moving east. These officers wore helmets, and several were equipped with gun-shaped weapons attached to small tanks, according to the lawsuit.
Asinor continued photographing the officers, standing with another photojournalist at the northwest corner of the intersection of 16th and H Streets.
As Asinor continued photographing, he saw a small item — believed to be a water bottle — thrown from behind him toward the officers at the barricades, the document stated.
Moments after the water bottle was thrown, an officer behind the 16th Street barricade walked up to the barricade and rolled a smoke munition onto 16th Street. The munition produced a large cloud of smoke on 16th Street, the ACLU said.
Around the same time, a police officer deployed at least one stun grenade near where Asinor was standing. The stun grenade produced smoke and a loud noise that Asinor found “terrifying and disorienting.”
Asinor walked north on 16th Street, where he found several small concrete blocks across the street and police officers lined up “and pointing, but not firing, cannon-shaped weapons at Mr. Asinor and the others near him,” according to the document.
Asinor and a few other journalists and demonstrators stopped around ten feet away from the blocks.
Demonstrators standing about five to seven feet behind Asinor threw two water bottles at the officers, which either missed them or landed near them harmlessly.
Officers responded by shooting rubber bullets at the demonstrators. After that, Asinor did not see the demonstrators throw anything else or attack or threaten the officers in any way, according to the ACLU document.
Then officers ran between the blocks, charging at Asinor and others who had stopped. Asinor had been facing the officers and taking photos, but he turned around to run north on 16th Street as soon as he saw them charge.
“A police officer sprayed liquid chemical irritants at Mr. Asinor and others running away. The spray hit Mr. Asinor, causing him to feel a burning sensation on his skin as he was running. He additionally felt a burning sensation in his nose, his eyes watered, and he had trouble breathing. Mr. Asinor had goggles with him, but he was not wearing them so that he could better use his camera,” according to the legal document.
As Asinor was running up 16th Street, Asinor and others became boxed in between officers moving north and south.
Asinor attempted to leave the area, but “one of the bike officers struck him in the chest with her arm and stopped him, before forcing him to the ground and handcuffing him.”
According to the document, Asinor told the officer that he was a member of the press multiple times, repeatedly telling her that he was carrying a camera for journalistic purposes; however, she did not allow him to leave.
Another officer later told Asinor that he was being arrested for “felony rioting.”
The ACLU document said “nothing Mr. Asinor did on August 30 or 31, 2020 provided probable cause to believe that he violated D.C. Code § 22-1322 or any other law.”
After the arrest, an officer removed Asinor’s camera, cellphone and goggles. He was then taken to the second police district, where he remained in police custody overnight. He continued to feel the effects of the chemical irritants with which he had been sprayed.
According to an MSN report, the ACLU said: “MPD did not return these items for almost a full year, even though he requested them multiple times, and MPD had no lawful basis to keep them.”
Asinor was released after about 17 hours in custody, at which point he was informed that he would not face any charges, according to the document.
The ACLU has filed a lawsuit against the D.C. government and the MPD officers claiming false imprisonment, assault and battery and unlawful use of chemical irritants, based on this incident and another with independent photojournalist Brian Dozier.
MPD told the Tracker they did not comment on ongoing cases.
Freelance journalist Kian Kelley-Chung was arrested while covering protests in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 13, 2020, and held overnight in jail. Although police dropped felony riot charges against him, the journalist’s two cameras and cellphone were seized by law enforcement officers and were not returned for over two months, Kelley-Chung told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker.
On the evening of Aug. 13 and into the morning of Aug. 14, protesters demonstrating against police brutality and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement marched through the neighborhood of Adams Morgan, according to local news reports. Protesters said they were surrounded and corralled on 18th Street NW, between Florida Avenue and Willard Street, by police officers who then began arresting people in the crowd, according to news reports. In a statement, the Metropolitan Police Department said that officers arrested 41 people on charges of “Felony Riot Acts and Assault on a Police Officer offenses” and alleged that protesters had also been involved in acts of arson and destruction of property.
Kelley-Chung, who has been covering Black Lives Matter protests for several months as an independent photographer and filmmaker, was among those arrested and charged with felony rioting, according to police records. The journalist told public radio station WAMU/DCist that he was arrested while trying to photograph the aftermath of an altercation between police and a protester. Kelley-Chung said his camera was clearly visible and that he told officers he was documenting the protests as a journalist, according to television network WUSA 9. “I just remember asking constantly, ‘Why am I being arrested? Why am I being arrested?...I’ve been here for months...You’ve seen my work,’ ” he was quoted as saying. Kelley-Chung told WAMU/DCist that he was taken into custody and held at the 7th District police precinct overnight and then detained at Superior Court before being released on the evening of Aug. 14, when the charges were dropped.
“What am I out here doing ‘rioting’. I’m a documentarian. I’m a photo journalist. I’m a member of the media. And they violated my 1st Ammend. rights. And that’s why we’re out here. That’s why they had to let me go”
— ChuckModi (@ChuckModi1) August 14, 2020
My media colleague Kian @uncleiso after release at #DCProtests pic.twitter.com/vBKIfJivY0
In a brief video interview posted to twitter by Deadspin journalist Chuck Modi the day after his release, Kelley-Chung said, “they thought they could stop me, they can’t stop me. I’m going to continue to be out here.” But the journalist said he was using his father’s camera because the two cameras he had been using, in addition to his cellphone, were still in police custody.
Kian in action. Despite being fellow journalist, he is one of 41 arrested Thurs. Didn’t know til now, police have not given him back his camera or phone yet (which explains arrest).
— ChuckModi (@ChuckModi1) August 16, 2020
He is back out w/father’s camera. Would be nice if corporate media showed solidarity #DCProtests pic.twitter.com/X8iw2mV3MD
I just did the math and MPD confiscated over $3000 worth of equipment. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated and shown support. Please keep sharing. I still don't have my stuff. https://t.co/8ik7AKBX2V
— kian (@uncleiso) August 16, 2020
DC Police still have Kian’s cameras they seized in illegal kettle arrests 10 days ago. He is press. He shares story of deep “sentimental value” of them #DCProtests pic.twitter.com/l9btqsVpW9
— ChuckModi (@ChuckModi1) August 23, 2020
Seven weeks later, in a letter dated Oct. 6 that Kelley-Chung shared with the Tracker, Acting United States Attorney Michael R. Sherwin wrote that the MPD, in conjunction with the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, was conducting an investigation into the events in Adams Morgan on Aug. 13-14 and that they believed that the journalist’s cameras “may contain information relevant to the investigation. We are writing to inquire whether you would voluntarily turn over data in the above-described cameras or produce such information voluntarily in response to a subpoena.”
After objections from Kelley-Chung’s lawyer, Sherwin wrote the journalist in another letter, dated Oct. 22, that his “Office has indicated to MPD that we have no objection to its disposition of Mr. Kelley-Chung’s property,” but that, “we are formally requesting the preservation, pending potential legal process and until further written notice, of all photographs, videos, audio recordings, and other evidence, created or captured on August 13-14, 2020.” However, the letter concluded, “this request does not obligate Mr. Kelley-Chung to produce any materials to the government at this time." Kelley-Chung told the Tracker that his possessions were released to him the following day, Oct. 23.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker is documenting several hundred incidents of journalists assaulted, arrested, struck by crowd control ammunition or tear gas or had their equipment damaged while covering protests across the country. Find these incidents here.
Freelance journalist Andrew Jasiura was detained and held for two hours by law enforcement while covering protests in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 13, 2020. Jasiura was released without charges after a Metropolitan Police Department lieutenant recognized him, the journalist told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker.
On the evening of Aug. 13 and into the morning of Aug. 14, protesters demonstrating against police brutality and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement marched through the neighborhood of Adams Morgan, according to local news reports. Protesters were surrounded and corralled on 18th Street NW, between Florida Avenue and Willard Street, by police officers who then began arresting people in the crowd, according to news reports. In a statement, the Metropolitan Police Department said that officers arrested 41 people on charges of “Felony Riot Acts and Assault on a Police Officer offenses” and alleged that protesters had also been involved in acts of arson and destruction of property.
Jasiura, who has been covering Black Lives Matter protests for several months as an independent photographer and filmmaker, was among those detained. Jasiura told the Tracker that he repeatedly told police officers he was a member of the press and showed them his press credential, but they ignored him. He said he also received no answer when he asked repeatedly if he was being detained or arrested, but when he asked if he could leave, he was told no. After about two hours, Jasiura said police officers began taking people one by one into custody, including his colleague Kian Kelley-Chung, and driving them away to jail. The Tracker has documented Kelley-Chung’s arrest here.
Jasiura said he was told to put his hands behind his back, and an officer was putting zip ties around his wrists, when another officer recognized him. That officer “knew I was press, and I had my press credentials, so he let me go,” Jasiura told the Tracker. The officers returned Jasiura’s possessions to him and released him without charge in the early hours of Aug. 14.
BREAKING: Cops have arrested dozens of the activists they illegally kettled at 18th and S St, including press & medics. They finally released one person--journalist @PhotoJazzy--who explained what happened and how they took his colleague @uncleiso. pic.twitter.com/GA8DnuFeKN
— Wyatt Reed (@wyattreed13) August 14, 2020
#FreeKian #FreeIso https://t.co/GWZBDczLfJ
— DrewJazzyPhoto (@PhotoJazzy) August 14, 2020
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker is documenting several hundred incidents of journalists assaulted, arrested, struck by crowd control ammunition or tear gas or had their equipment damaged while covering protests across the country. Find these incidents here.
Shelby Talcott, a staff reporter for the Daily Caller, told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker that she was briefly detained by police while covering protests against police violence in Washington, D.C., on June 22, 2020.
Talcott said she had been filming protests in the nation’s capital for much of the evening. At one point, she said, individuals in the crowd accused her of being an undercover cop, shoving her and trying to take her phone, an incident the Tracker has documented here.
Talcott said she was eventually shoved into a police line, and officers pulled her through to the other side. Once there, an officer from the Metropolitan Police Department placed her in handcuffs, walked her to an area about two blocks away where there were no protesters, and released her within five minutes, Talcott said.
While reporting on protests in D.C. the next day, Talcott said, she asked an officer to explain why she had been detained. She said the officer, who wasn’t present for the altercation the day before, told her that it was standard practice to handcuff anyone who breaches a police line “because they’re not sure who you are.”
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Department for the District of Columbia said in a statement to the Tracker that officers consider “several factors and the information available to determine if an individual should be placed in handcuffs.”
“This applies to any situation involving MPD, including crossing a police line,” the spokesperson said.
Talcott told the Tracker that she had taken to dressing “low key” while covering protests and without clear identification as a journalist to avoid being targeted by individuals who “don’t want certain things getting out.” She said she told protesters at the scene multiple times that she was a member of the press and she was sure officers heard it.
“I’m not sure the officers handled it in the best way, but the protesters didn’t either,” Talcott told the Tracker.
Protests against police violence and in support of the Black Lives Movement have been held across the country after a viral video showed a white police officer kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, a Black man, during an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25. Floyd was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker is documenting several hundred incidents of journalists being assaulted, arrested, struck by crowd control ammunition or tear gas or having their equipment damaged while covering protests across the country. Find these incidents here.
Ford Fischer, co-founder and editor-in-chief of News2Share, was struck by a crowd control munition and detained by Metropolitan Police Department officers while on assignment for digital wire service Zenger covering protests in Washington, D.C., on May 31, 2020.
The protest was one of a surge of demonstrations across the country, sparked by the May 25 death of George Floyd, a Black man, during an arrest in Minneapolis.
Fischer, whose video news service focuses on "the latest on politics and activism,” told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker that he was covering demonstrations in Farragut Square, just north of the White House in downtown D.C.
Some of the protesters, he said, moved from the square eastward toward the intersection of 16th and I streets. A group of riot police were gathered about half a block up I Street, Fischer said, and a small group of officers was on the north side of 16th Street.
Demonstrators were throwing fireworks and police tossed flash-bang grenades, Fischer said, as he filmed from a bit behind the protesters. In footage he posted of the incident, Fischer appears to be standing in the street filming as fireworks are launched by individuals nearby.
“At some point during that charging, there was an instant strike to my head,” Fischer said, noting that he could even hear in his video footage the sound of the crowd control munition flying through the air.
I'll have a full footage thread on @Zenger soon, but I found the HD footage from when I got hit with what I believe was a rubber bullet.
— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) June 1, 2020
For about a minute, protesters were shooting fireworks at the cops.
Police charged in and open fired, hitting me at 1:17 in this clip. pic.twitter.com/m8iNrUAmSU
Fischer noted in a separate tweet that the “solid goggles” he was wearing helped minimize the harm, saying that he was “fine.” He told the Tracker that he believes the goggles deflected the round.
“That’s how I ended up with this weird, two part injury from this one shot,” Fischer said. “There was this half-golf ball-sized sore coming out of my forehead and then also an impact on the upper part of my nose.”
Fischer said that after he was struck, he attempted to leave the protest by heading west on I Street, where some looting was taking place.
“At some point police charged them, and it was while everyone was running away westward towards the Foggy Bottom/George Washington region of D.C. that the particular group I was running with ended up being kettled.”
“Kettling” is a police maneuver used to hem in protesters and is often followed with indiscriminate arrests or citations.
Fischer said that he and about 20 protesters were detained in the kettle for approximately eight minutes.
“When I realized what was happening I identified myself as press to one of those officers,” Fischer said, “and I remember that he responded, ‘We’ll talk about that later.’”
While detained, Fischer said he interviewed one of the protesters who had his front teeth knocked out by police earlier that evening. Eventually an officer came up to the group and announced that everyone would be allowed to leave as long as they returned home upon their release, according to Fischer.
“So they let us out one by one, and one of the officers took their body cam off of their vest and held it close to our faces as we exited, effectively taking mugshots or documenting the people they had kettled before letting us go,” Fischer said.
The Metropolitan Police Department did not respond to an emailed request for comment.
The previous night, May 30, Fischer was struck twice with pepper balls, which are functionally paintballs filled with a powdery pepper spray: once in the stomach and once on his right shoulder. The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker has documented that incident here.
Evan Engel was arrested on Jan. 20, 2017, while covering protests in Washington, D.C., on the day of President Donald Trump's inauguration. At the time, Engel was a senior producer at Vocativ. Vocativ spokeswoman Ellen Davis told the Committee to Protect Journalists that police seized Engel’s camera and mobile phone.
In a blog post for the Freedom of the Press Foundation, Engel wrote about the circumstances of his arrest:
The group – which included protesters, journalists (including myself), medics, and legal observers – raised their hands in the air and awaited further instructions from the police.
I livestreamed the detention on Facebook. After about 40 minutes, police officers from DC’s Metropolitan Police Department began pulled me from the group (livestreamers were among the first arrested). As I’ve done in numerous protests since 2008, I showed officers my camera and business cards and explained that I was a journalist.
“That’s great,” one officer replied. “I’m a sergeant.”
Engel was charged with the highest level of offense under Washington, D.C.’s law against rioting, which applies when there are injuries as a result of the activity or property damage in excess of $5,000, which can be punished by a maximum of 10 years in jail and fines of up to $25,000.
Engel wrote that he was detained for over 27 hours. He said that he and other detainees were subjected to abusive treatment, including being locked in the back of an overheated van.
On Jan. 27, all charges against Engel were dropped. Police later returned his phone and camera.
Aaron Cantú — an independent journalist who has written for The Baffler, the website Truthout, and Al-Jazeera — was arrested on Jan. 20, 2017, while covering protests on the day President Donald Trump's inauguration.
Cantú was among more than 230 people arrested in Washington on Inauguration Day after some individuals set fire to a car and broke windows of downtown businesses.
Cantú was one of nine journalists arrested during the protests. Charges were later dropped against most of the journalists, but not Cantú. On April 27, a grand jury indicted him on eight separate felony counts — inciting a riot, rioting, conspiracy to riot, and five counts of destruction of property. If convicted on all counts, he could face to 75 years in prison.
He is scheduled to go to trial in October 2018.
Journalist Aaron Cantú was required to wear this bracelet while detained, after he was arrested while covering protests against President Trump's inauguration in Washington, D.C.
",arrested and released,Metropolitan Police Department,None,None,False,1:20-cv-00130,['SETTLED'],Civil,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,[],,"chemical irritant, election, Election 2016, kettle, protest",,, 2017-05-25 21:09:36.767540+00:00,2023-11-03 18:35:20.284957+00:00,Producer Jack Keller arrested at Trump inauguration protest,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/producer-jack-keller-arrested-trump-inauguration-protest/,2023-11-03 18:35:19.906193+00:00,rioting (charges dropped as of 2017-01-30),,,"Arrest/Criminal Charge, Equipment Search or Seizure",,"camera: count of 1, cellphone: count of 1, storage device: count of 1",,Jack Keller (Story of America),,2017-01-20,False,Washington,District of Columbia (DC),38.89511,-77.03637,"Jack Keller, producer of the web documentary series Story of America, was arrested on Jan. 20, 2017, while covering protests on the day of President Donald Trump's inauguration. Annabel Park, the co-director of the web series, confirmed that Keller was arrested and detained for 36 hours while covering the protest. He was returned his video camera after being released, but both the video and his cellphone remained in police custody.
He was charged with the highest level of offense under Washington D.C.’s law against rioting, which applies when there are injuries as a result of the activity or property damage in excess of $5,000, which can be punished by a maximum of 10 years in jail and fines of up to $25,000.
On Jan. 30, the charges against Keller were dropped.
A demonstrator smashes a Starbucks window using a trash can at 12th and I streets in Washington, D.C., on Friday, during a march that ended with a partial encirclement and mass arrest.
",arrested and released,Metropolitan Police Department,2017-01-21,2017-01-20,False,None,[],None,returned in part,False,law enforcement,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,None,,"election, Election 2016, kettle, protest",,, 2017-05-25 21:15:44.100054+00:00,2022-09-21 19:08:34.958901+00:00,Photojournalist Matthew Hopard arrested at Trump inauguration protest,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/photojournalist-matthew-hopard-arrested-trump-inauguration-protest/,2022-09-21 19:08:34.896746+00:00,rioting (charges dropped as of 2017-01-30),,,Arrest/Criminal Charge,,,,Matthew Hopard (Independent),,2017-01-20,False,Washington,District of Columbia (DC),38.89511,-77.03637,"Matthew Hopard — an independent photojournalist who has published with The New York Times, Fox News, and Business Insider — was arrested on Jan. 20, 2017, while covering protests on the day of President Donald Trump's inauguration.
He was charged with the highest level of offense under Washington D.C.’s law against rioting, which applies when there are injuries as a result of the activity or property damage in excess of $5,000, which can be punished by a maximum of 10 years in jail and fines of up to $25,000.
On Jan. 30, the charges against Hopard were dropped.
Washington DC police made a number of arrests, including of journalists, after protests against Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, 2017, resulted in windows being smashed and other damage.
",arrested and released,Metropolitan Police Department,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,None,,"election, Election 2016, kettle, protest",,, 2017-05-25 21:19:08.544615+00:00,2023-11-03 18:35:39.506952+00:00,Reporter Alex Stokes charged with rioting at Trump inauguration protest,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/reporter-alex-stokes-charged-rioting-trump-inauguration-protest/,2023-11-03 18:35:39.363390+00:00,rioting (charges dropped as of 2017-02-21),,(2021-09-17 00:00:00+00:00) Independent journalist receives payout as plaintiff in class-action lawsuit,"Arrest/Criminal Charge, Equipment Search or Seizure",,"camera: count of 2, cellphone: count of 1",,Alex Stokes (Independent),,2017-01-20,False,Washington,District of Columbia (DC),38.89511,-77.03637,"Alexander Stokes — an independent journalist whose show was broadcast on Albany Public Access TV news show — was arrested on Jan. 20, 2017, while covering protests on the day of President Donald Trump's inauguration. Stokes, whose full name is Alexander Stokes Contompasis, stated that he was never asked for press credentials despite informing officers that he was press, and his cellphone and two cameras were seized by police during his arrest.
He was charged with the highest level of offense under Washington D.C.’s law against rioting, which applies when there are injuries as a result of the activity or property damage in excess of $5,000, which can be punished by a maximum of 10 years in jail and fines of up to $25,000.
On Feb. 21, the charges against Stokes were dropped. On March 1, his cameras and cellphone were returned, though he told Buzzfeed that he was uncertain whether they had been searched.
Stokes is now a member of "Press Connection," a group that advocates for those still facing criminal charges in connection with the Inauguration protests.
Protesters and journalists scramble as stun grenades are deployed by police during a protest near the inauguration of President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, U.S., Jan. 20, 2017.
",arrested and released,Metropolitan Police Department,None,None,False,1:18-cv-00120,['SETTLED'],Class Action,returned in full,False,law enforcement,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,None,,"election, Election 2016, kettle, protest",,, 2017-05-25 21:25:00.130739+00:00,2023-11-03 18:36:09.505614+00:00,Photojournalist Cheney Orr arrested at Trump inauguration protest,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/photojournalist-cheney-orr-arrested-trump-inauguration-protest/,2023-11-03 18:36:09.357441+00:00,rioting (charges dropped as of 2017-02-21),,,"Arrest/Criminal Charge, Equipment Search or Seizure",,"camera: count of 3, storage device: count of 3, work product: count of 1, cellphone: count of 1",,Cheney Orr (Independent),,2017-01-20,False,Washington,District of Columbia (DC),38.89511,-77.03637,"Cheney Orr, an independent photographer, was arrested on Jan. 20, 2017, while covering protests on the day of President Donald Trump's inauguration. Orr was doing a portrait series that day when he was arrested with a group of 60 protesters, handcuffed with zip ties, and his gear confiscated: this included his digital Canon DSLR camera, two lenses, a Contaxt point-and-shoot, memory cards, a Rolleiflex 120 film camera, and his cellphone.
He was one of more than 200 people arrested and charged with felony rioting, the highest level of offense under Washington D.C.’s law against rioting. While he was released the next day, law enforcement wanted to use his images as evidence, but couldn’t access them without a warrant or Orr’s permission. When Orr’s attorney advised him that the warrant would almost certainly be granted and that waiting for the warrant would leave his equipment impounded for weeks or months, Orr granted his permission.
The felony charges were dropped on Feb. 21, though Orr is still waiting for the return of both his film and memory cards.
DC riot police form a line across K Street Northwest at 13th Street as protesters react to the swearing in of U.S. President Donald Trump in downtown Washington, U.S., Jan. 20, 2017.
",arrested and released,Metropolitan Police Department,None,None,False,None,[],None,returned in part,False,law enforcement,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,None,,"election, Election 2016, kettle, protest",,, 2017-07-12 19:39:24.339114+00:00,2022-09-21 19:09:13.504114+00:00,RT America reporter arrested at Trump inauguration protest,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/rt-america-reporter-arrested-trump-inauguration-protest/,2022-09-21 19:09:13.416275+00:00,rioting (charges dropped as of 2017-01-30),,,Arrest/Criminal Charge,"RT America reporter arrested while covering inauguration protests (https://www.rt.com/usa/374421-rt-reporter-arrested-inauguration-protests/) via RT America, Two journalists covering inauguration protests face felony riot charges (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/23/two-journalists-trump-inauguration-protests-felony-riot-charges-evan-engel-alex-rubinstein) via Guardian U.S., Updates on journalists arrested and charged with rioting during Presidential Inauguration protests (RCFP) (https://www.rcfp.org/inauguration-protest-arrests)",,,Alexander Rubinstein (RT America),,2017-01-20,False,Washington,District of Columbia (DC),38.89511,-77.03637,"Alexander Rubinstein, a reporter with the Russian state-funded broadcaster RT America, was arrested while covering protests on the day of the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump. RT said in a Jan. 20, 2017, report on its website that Rubinstein showed his media credentials to police before he was encircled with a crowd of people who were all arrested.
He was charged with the highest level of offense under Washington D.C.’s law against rioting, which applies when there are injuries as a result of the activity or property damage in excess of $5,000, which can be punished by a maximum of 10 years in jail and fines of up to $25,000.
On Jan. 30, the charges against Rubinstein were dropped.
Protesters and journalists scramble as stun grenades are deployed by police during a protest near the inauguration of President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, U.S., January 20, 2017.
Independent photojournalist Alexei Wood was arrested while covering protests on Jan. 20, 2017 — the day of the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Wood was among more than 230 people arrested in Washington on Inauguration Day after some individuals set fire to a car and broke windows of downtown businesses.
Wood told the Freedom of the Press Foundation that, when he was arrested, he was carrying a lot of professional equipment — including a Canon 7D camera body with a 16–35 L lens, at least four memory cards with over 200 GB of photos, a Rode external microphone, a monopod, and an Android phone (which he used to livestream the protest on Facebook Live).
All of his equipment was seized and searched by police after he was arrested. The lens was later returned to him, but the rest of his equipment was not.
Like other journalists arrested during the Inauguration protests, Wood was initially charged with one count of rioting, a felony which carries a penalty of up to 10 years in jail.
But on April 27, a grand jury indicted him on eight separate felony counts:
The eight counts carry a combined maximum sentence of more than 60 years in prison.
Alexei Wood stands outside D.C. superior court.
",arrested and released,Metropolitan Police Department,None,None,False,1:20-cv-00130,['SETTLED'],Civil,returned in full,False,law enforcement,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,[],,"chemical irritant, election, Election 2016, kettle, protest",,, 2017-08-01 15:19:53.063008+00:00,2024-02-27 21:33:31.073009+00:00,Shay Horse arrested at Trump inauguration protest,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/shay-horse-arrested/,2024-02-27 21:33:30.975733+00:00,rioting (charges dropped as of 2017-02-01),,"(2017-06-21 15:45:00+00:00) Photojournalist arrested while covering Inauguration Day protests named as plaintiff in ACLU lawsuit, (2021-04-26 00:00:00+00:00) DC settles class action lawsuit brought by independent journalist, others","Arrest/Criminal Charge, Assault",,,,Shay Horse (Freelance),,2017-01-20,False,Washington,District of Columbia (DC),38.89511,-77.03637,"Independent journalist Shay Horse was arrested on Jan. 20, 2017, in Washington, D.C., while covering protests around the inauguration of President Donald Trump.
Like other journalists and protesters arrested that day, Horse was charged with the highest level of offense under the district's law against rioting, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail and fines of up to $25,000.
In February, the charges against Horse were dropped.
Activists stand amid smoke from a stun grenade during a protest against President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the inauguration in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2017.
",arrested and released,Metropolitan Police Department,2017-01-21,None,True,1:17-cv-01216,['SETTLED'],Class Action,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,law enforcement,yes,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,[],,"chemical irritant, election, Election 2016, kettle, protest",,,