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Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Ferguson: Media Arrested Again

Getty photographer Scott Olson
The National Guard arrived in Fergoson MO Monday but kept its distance from the streets where protesters clashed again with police, as clouds of tear gas and smoke hung over the St Louis suburb where Michael Brown was fatally shot by a police officer. At least two people were shot and 31 arrested.

A photographer for the Getty photo agency was arrested while covering the demonstrations and later released. Two German reporters were arrested and detained for three hours for allegedly failing to follow police orders to vacate an empty street. They said they followed police orders.

Capt Ron Johnson said members of the media had to be asked repeatedly to return to the sidewalks and that it was a matter of safety. Reporters tweeted that the streets were empty.

CNN's Don Lemon, carrying a CNN-labeled mic stand, said he was pushed by a police officer when he was on the sidewalk (not obvious enough, apparently). Jacqueline Lee of the Belleville News Democrat tweeted that they held up media credentials and then police shot "at least three tear gas containers" at her


Instagram: Getty photographer Scott Olson says: "I'm getting arrested because he said the media is required to be in a certain area." (about 3 cops arresting him). Getty has served 4 years in the Marines and 4 in the National Guard... Instagram: Getty photographer Scott Olson says: "I'm getting arrested because he said the media is required to be in a certain area." (about 3 cops arresting him). Getty has served 4 years in the Marines and 4 in the National Guard.

It's not Olson's first brush with the law while on the job. In 2012, Olson was one of several journalists injured while covering protests at a Chicago NATO summit. Olson was bloodied after being hit on the head with a police baton.

Monday, St Louis radio station KFTK 97.1 FM reported that a woman calling herself Josie had called The Dana Show Friday to tell officer Darren Wilson's side of the story. Cannot be verified. She said Wilson told Brown and a friend to stop walking in the street. She said Wilson then decided they fit the description of the robbery suspects and sought to stop them.



The caller said the men fought near the car, then Brown went a distance away, turned and charged the officer. "He just started to come at him full speed. And so he just started shooting, and he just kept coming..." CNN reported the account seemed to match a version the officer gave to investigators.

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