Los Angeles County has agreed to a $700,000 settlement with NPR affiliate LAist (KPCC) radio reporter Josie Huang following an incident where she was arrested while reporting on a protest in 2020. The arrest occurred as Huang covered a demonstration linked to the wider protests following George Floyd’s death, which happened on the night two sheriff’s deputies were shot.
The terms of the settlement also include a directive for the sheriff’s department to provide proper guidance to deputies for dealing with the news media during events.
During the coverage, Huang was taken into custody, an act she described as unlawful and traumatic. Despite the county and sheriff’s department not admitting wrongdoing, the settlement includes measures for the sheriff’s department to better inform deputies on laws and policies regarding media interaction.
At the time of her arrest, the former Sheriff Alex Villanueva stated Huang was inappropriately close to an ongoing arrest. However, the district attorney later dropped charges, citing a lack of evidence of intentional interference on Huang’s part. Following the incident, Huang, who was heard identifying herself as a reporter in a cellphone video while being shoved to the ground, received support from numerous media organizations that condemned her arrest.
Despite the controversy, the department released a statement, saying, “There was a thorough internal investigation into this incident and the appropriate administrative action was taken. We understand the role of the media during newsworthy events and make every effort to accommodate them with a designated press area and appropriate access.”
Huang says she will donate a portion of the settlement funds to charitable causes, adding, “Journalists in Los Angeles County should be able to record police activity in public without fear of unlawful arrest. My arrest was traumatic, but I hope that some good can still come of this experience.”
