KPPC Radio reporter Josie Huang was arrested outside St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, California over the weekend. She received a citation for allegedly violating an obstruction law. She says she was simply doing her job, covering protesters who were being pursued by police.
Huang describes being knocked to the ground, handcuffed and put in a squad car where officers would not allow her to put her face covering back on. She detailed the entire incident HERE.
ABC 7 has video of Huang being handcuffed on the ground here. Her arrest follows the point-blank shooting of two Los Angeles police officers.
L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who represents Lynwood, called for an investigation by County Inspector General Max Huntsman and added that “The Citizens Oversight Commission must convene a special meeting on this matter.” Huntsman later told KPCC’s Frank Stoltze that he is opening an investigation into Huang’s arrest.
KPCC issued this official statement: “We offer condolences to the two sheriff deputies who were shot Saturday evening. These are challenging and stressful times for everyone, but Josie Huang was arrested while doing her job. The charges should be dropped. “Her arrest is the latest in a series of troubling interactions between our reporters and some local law enforcement officers. Journalists provide an essential service, providing
Why don’t you cover the rioting, arson , braking & entering, looting, destroying property , use of illegal weapons and all the other public mayhem including murder?
The things that are actually happening in your city. Stop pretending it isn’t going on.
Do honest reporting. That’s supposed to be you job. Take your agenda and shove it.
Reporters are covering these things. How are you finding out about these things if they are not being reported by the media.
And its breaking. Braking is what happens when you want to stop a vehicle.
Play with the tiger’s tail – get bitten by the tiger. No sympathy.
According to the sheriff’s department, the reporter did not identify herself to deputies as a member of the press at the time of her arrest and later admitted that she lacked the proper press credentials on her person. So…..you didn’t have your press credentials with you and you expect LEOs to just know who you are and give you a break? That’s not how this works, lady.
According to audio and video taken at the site, the sheriff is lying. She was wearing a press credential and she told the police she was with the press four times. You can hear her voice.
Is part of her job to stand with the people blocking the hospital emergency entrance and chanting for death of those officers? Sound like she was part of the mob, obstructing medical attention for the police officers.
Happened to me as a junior reporter during an anti-Vietnam war demonstration in NYC. But the police were much more civil to me. I was told on tape “you’re under arrest” to get into a squad car along with the HS girls I was interviewing. I ended up being interviewed by a News Radio 88 reporter who gave me a ride uptown from 100 Center Street after being released from the big prison. Ran all next morning on local all new station. It added some spice to my crowd interviews when it aired a day later.
You are correct in that these are different times. But I seriously doubt you were in prison. Prison is where you go if you are a convicted felon. Nothing here suggests you were convicted of a felony at this time. My guess is it was a holding cell, not prison. Just saying. 😀