CNN crew arrested while reporting on Minneapolis protests

The Minnesota State Patrol on Friday arrested a CNN television crew as they reported on violent protests in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who pleaded for air as a white police officer kneeled on his neck. Atlanta-based CNN said that the crew, which included CNN reporter Omar Jimenez, was released later Friday morning.

While living on air, Jimenez was handcuffed and led away. A producer and a photojournalist for CNN have also led away in handcuffs. CNN's communications team earlier said on Twitter that the crew was arrested “for doing their jobs, despite identifying themselves a clear violation of their First Amendment rights.” The Minnesota State Patrol did not immediately respond to an email and a phone call Friday morning from The Associated Press seeking more information on the arrests.

Late Thursday in Minneapolis, cheering protesters torched a police station that the department abandoned as three days of violent protests spread to nearby St. Paul and angry demonstrations flared across the US.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)