My colleague Kaylee McGhee was right on target in explaining why there should be bipartisan condemnation for the Minnesota police officers last night who arrested an entirely respectful CNN news crew that was covering the Minneapolis riots.
I write just to add that condemnation isn’t enough.
One can watch the video again and again and fail to imagine any reason, even a weak one, why the crew should have been arrested. Not only was the crew entirely cooperative, and not only do news outlets enjoy First Amendment protections, but it was also a bizarre waste of effort and manpower to arrest a peaceful camera crew in the midst of so much other mayhem.
There were buildings literally burning in the background. Surely, state police could use their force in more productive ways than to arrest a crew whose leader repeatedly said things such as, “Wherever you want us, just let us know. We were just getting out of your way when you were advancing through the intersection.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz apologized later for the crew’s detention. That isn’t enough. The officers who ordered and carried out the arrest should be identified, immediately suspended, and probably fired. It is long past time for cops on power trips to be reined in.
