CNN reporter Omar Jimenez was arrested by Minneapolis police while broadcasting live on television on Friday morning. Omar was covering the protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white police officer pinned him down by his neck.
Jimenez and his fellow crew members have since been released from custody.
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“This is the moment a CNN crew, including correspondent Omar Jimenez, were arrested by police Friday morning while giving a live television report in Minneapolis; covering the ongoing protests over the death of George Floyd,” the outlet wrote in alongside video of the incident. “The CNN crew had clearly identified themselves as press and were fully cooperative with police officers. Omar Jimenez can be heard saying, “Why am I under arrest?” as he is handcuffed and detained.”
The organization also refuted the police’s account of events on Twitter, which claimed that the CNN crew was released only “once they were confirmed to be members of the media.”
This is not accurate – our CNN crew identified themselves, on live television, immediately as journalists. We thank Minnesota @GovTimWalz for his swift action this morning to aid in the release of our crew. https://t.co/3cvtsqbbWz
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) May 29, 2020
“This is not accurate – our CNN crew identified themselves, on live television, immediately as journalists.,” CNN responded in a tweet. “We thank Minnesota @GovTimWalz for his swift action this morning to aid in the release of our crew.” Minnesota’s governor had apparently reached out to CNN President Jeff Zucker to personally apologize.
Other CNN employees who were reportedly arrested alongside Omar were producer Bill Kirkos and photojournalist Leonel Mendez, per CNN’s Brooke Baldwin.
Omar appeared on air once again after he was released from custody and described the incident to Alisyn Camerota.
“I was talking to the officer leading me away: ‘Hey, man, we’re going to be out here for the next few days, what is the guidance of where we should be? If you don’t want us that close, where should we be? We were under the impression that was okay,’” Jimenez said. “He said look, I don’t know man, I’m just following orders.’ I don’t know who was potentially giving that order in that particular moment.”
Several prominent figures across the media industry have already responded to the incident, with many expressing their outrage towards the police.
My eyes welled with tears viewing this. It shows a turning point in the war that Trump is waging. That’s not hyperbole. Destabilizing the election. Press freedoms compromised. Steel yourself. Expect more of this. Then ask yourself: what will you do? pic.twitter.com/oc6zpqQskx
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) May 29, 2020
Y’all can arrest a black CNN reporter and his cameraman for no apparent reason but can’t arrest a one of your own who killed a man on video in broad daylight @MinneapolisPD???
— Matthew A. Cherry (@MatthewACherry) May 29, 2020
Yes! I'll be even more thrilled when the cops who arrested Omar Jimenez are suspended and the other cops who murdered George Floyd are in jail. https://t.co/QJPvRwd5wS
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) May 29, 2020
Great to see Omar Jimenez back on the air. He says the officers who arrested him told him they were just following orders. So which idiot is the one who ordered his arrest?
— Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) May 29, 2020
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