Incident Details
- Date of Incident
- July 14, 2018
- Targets
- Nader Issa (Chicago Sun-Times)
- Assailant
- Law enforcement
- Was the journalist targeted?
- Yes
Assault
A screengrab from a video recorded by Sun-Times journalist Nader Issa shows a Chicago Police Department officer reaching out to grab Issa's phone.
Chicago Sun-Times reporter Nader Issa was attacked by Chicago Police Department officers while covering a protest in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood, on July 14, 2018.
In the aftermath of a fatal police shooting of Harith Augustus, an unarmed black man, in the neighborhood, protesters gathered around the crime scene. Issa covered the demonstration for the Sun Times and posted regular updates from the scene on his Twitter account. He later wrote a Sun Times article about the shooting and resulting protest.
Issa reported that the scene got increasingly tense throughout the evening, and police hit at least six protesters with batons in their effort to push them back from the scene.
Just after 7 p.m. local time, Issa tweeted that a large crowd was gathering at the intersection of 71st Street and Chappel Avenue.
A very large crowd is gathering at 71st/Chappel, where Chicago Police say they shot and killed a person this evening. It's hard to put in words how tense the scene is. Witnesses say a female officer shot the man in the back while he was running away. He was a local barber. pic.twitter.com/aaV6smY07V
— Nader Issa (@NaderDIssa) July 15, 2018
Around 9:30 pm, Issa tweeted that two CPD officers had shoved him to the ground and smacked his phone out of his hand. Issa said that he was wearing his press badge at the time and had identified himself as a reporter.
Internet is bad so it's taking a minute for this video to upload, but Chicago Police just rushed the parking lot and started hitting people. I have my press badge on and identified myself as a reporter but I got shoved to the ground by two cops who smacked my phone out of my hand
— Nader Issa (@NaderDIssa) July 15, 2018
Two hours later, Issa tweeted a video of the altercation with the officers. In the video, Issa approaches a group of officers involved in an altercation with a civilian. Two of the officers push him back, and then Issa's phone appears to be smacked sideways.
I had my press badge held up in one hand and my phone in the other while I was saying "I'm a reporter." Two Chicago Police officers repeatedly pushed me, then smacked my phone out of my hand and threw me back. I lost my balance but can't remember if I hit the ground or not. pic.twitter.com/vhi4gjlNla
— Nader Issa (@NaderDIssa) July 15, 2018
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