Authorities Arrest CNN Press Reporter, Crew Covering Minneapolis Protests Live On Air

Minnesota State Patrol officers arrested CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez and 2 members of his team while they were broadcasting live from protests in Minneapolis on Friday early morning’s “New Day.”

Jimenez, who was covering the presentations over the death of George Floyd, was positioned in handcuffs and removed just after 5 a.m. regional time after nicely telling officers the crew would go anywhere they wanted them. A manufacturer and a camera operator were also apprehended

The electronic camera continued rolling and transmitting the entire time, even as it was taken away from the crew.

The crew was launched around two hours later.

Take a look at the footage here:

Cops at first informed CNN that the journalists had been arrested “for not following orders to clear the street.”

Jimenez’s coworker Josh Campbell, who was somewhere else in the city covering the protests, was not detained.

Campbell told “New Day” that his experience had actually been “the opposite of what Omar simply experienced.” It ” crossed my mind” it could have been because he is white and Jimenez is Black, Campbell said.

Check out the interview here:

CNN had actually called for the release of its workers in a statement shared on Twitter.

” A CNN press reporter & his production group were arrested today in Minneapolis for doing their tasks, regardless of identifying themselves– a clear violation of their First Modification rights,” it checked out. “The authorities in Minnesota, incl. the Governor, need to launch the 3 CNN workers right away.”

John Berman, the co-host of “New Day,” reported that CNN President Jeff Zucker had talked to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, and stated the guv had said sorry.

Walz took “complete obligation” for the occurrence, Berman reported.