CNN's; Omar Jimenez Arrested on Live TV

CNN's Omar Jimenez Arrested on Live TV 

CNN reporter Omar Jimenez and his crew were arrested Friday on live TV while covering protests in Minneapolis.

The arrests occurred amid continued protests in Minnesota - and elsewhere in the country - following the death of George Floyd, a black man in police custody.

Jimenez "was taken into police custody during a live broadcast at the protest site in Minneapolis after clearly identifying himself with the officers," CNN said. The network also reported that Jimenez's producer and a photojournalist were arrested by the state police.

In a tweet, the news network, owned by AT&T's WarnerMedia, highlighted: "A black CNN reporter was arrested while legally covering the Minneapolis protests. A white reporter on the bottom also hasn't."
In a web post, the network added, "Josh Campbell of CNN, who was also in the area but was not with the crew on the air, said he was also approached by police but was allowed to stay. The post quotes Campbell saying, "I identified myself ... they said, 'OK, you're allowed to be within the area.' I was treated very differently than [Jimenez] ".

In a CNN video about the arrest, the reporter is seen reporting another arrest at the scene, saying, "We arrested someone here," before telling his colleagues in the studio, "We're talking to the state patrol now. Give us a second, guys. " Jimenez then turns to the police, saying, "We can retire anywhere you want here. Right now we're surviving the air. It's often the four of us. We're a team. Put us back wherever you want. We're getting out of the way. Just let us know. "
The journalist then continues his relationship with a cop who puts his hand on Jimenez's arm. Another member of the police team then says, "You're under arrest," leading the reporter to ask "do you mind telling me why I'm under arrest?" The police then handcuffs Jimenez and takes him away.

Jimenez was arrested around 5:00 a.m. civil time. The police told the crew that they had been arrested because they had been told to manoeuvre and they did not, one member of the crew told the network. After the photojournalist was arrested, his camera was attached to the bottom but continued to transmit live images.
Jimenez said on CNN.com earlier that night: "Dramatic scenes took place in Minneapolis after police arrived on the scene and clashed with protesters. It was the first time the authorities had been seen on the scene in over an hour. The cops, some in riot gear, immediately set to work, using aerosols and batons to disperse the crowd near police headquarters. Police were seen pushing a minimum of one person, while demonstrators responded by throwing bullets at officers while others fled the scene. "

Later Friday morning, CNN tweeted that Jimenez and his crew were released. The network also reported that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz told CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker that he deeply apologizes for what happened.

After his release, around 6 a.m. civil time, Jimenez returned to the air and said he had been treated well after being taken away.

"We're doing fine now. There were a couple of restless moments there," Jimenez said.

The death of unarmed Floyd led to the firing of four Minneapolis police officers. Floyd's family says they need murder charges against them.
Protesters in Minneapolis set a fenced-off building on fire. According to media reports, authorities arrived on the scene just after 3:30 a.m. Civil time.