FERGUSON, MO – AUGUST 13: A demonstrator, protesting the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown, stands his ground as police fire tear gas on August 13, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri. Brown was shot and killed by a Ferguson police officer on Saturday. Ferguson, a St. Louis suburb, is experiencing its fourth day of violent protests since the killing. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

FERGUSON, MO – AUGUST 13: A demonstrator, protesting the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown, stands his ground as police fire tear gas on August 13, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri. Brown was shot and killed by a Ferguson police officer on Saturday. Ferguson, a St. Louis suburb, is experiencing its fourth day of violent protests since the killing. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Two reporters from the Washington Post and the Huffington Post were arrested Wednesday evening while covering the ongoing protests in Ferguson, Missouri over the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was killed by a local police officer over the weekend. Brown was unarmed.

Frustrations in the Ferguson community boiled over as the police refused to provide the public with any details about Brown’s death. Their poor handling of the situation has led to a string of heavy protests, which quickly turned violent as police responded with tear gas and other riot gear.

Wesley Lowery, a reporter with the Post, recounts the ordeal, writing that he and Huffington Post reporter Ryan Reilly were camped out in a McDonald’s a few blocks from Brown’s shooting, which has become a kind of makeshift “staging area” for reporters to gather and work.

Lowery writes that while he and Reilly were working in the McDonald’s, many armed officers came in the establishment and confronted the pair, asking for their IDs. Lowery, who was wearing his press lanyard, said he overheard Reilly ask why they had to show ID, to which they “didn’t press the point, but one added that if [they] called 911, no one would answer.”

The police then left, only to come back moments later telling everyone that they had to leave. That’s when Lowery began recording the incident on his phone. Lowery writes he was asked to stop recording and was forced to gather his things and leave. As he was leaving, Lowery says he was given conflicting reports as to which way he should exit, which led to the circumstances of his arrest:

“Go another way,” he said.

As I turned, my backpack, which was slung over one shoulder, began to slip. I said, “Officers, let me just gather my bag.” As I did, one of them said, “Okay, let’s take him.”

Multiple officers grabbed me. I tried to turn my back to them to assist them in arresting me. I dropped the things from my hands.

“My hands are behind my back,” I said. “I’m not resisting. I’m not resisting.” At which point one officer said: “You’re resisting. Stop resisting.”

That was when I was most afraid — more afraid than of the tear gas and rubber bullets.

Both Lowery and Reilly were arrested and led to a police van, where Lowery describes a large man in their screaming that he couldn’t breathe and that he was “going to die.” The police did not do anything. While Lowery and Reilly were briefly detained, Lowery writes that they were only told they were being detained for “trespassing in a McDonald’s,” and was denied to see an arrest report and wasn’t given any badge numbers or names when asked. Reilly says that they weren’t even read their Miranda rights:

Washington Post editor Marty Baron issued the following statement in light of the incident:

Wesley has briefed us on what occurred, and there was absolutely no justification for his
arrest.

He was illegally instructed to stop taking video of officers. Then he followed officers’ instructions to leave a McDonald’s — and after contradictory instructions on how to exit, he was slammed against a soda machine and then handcuffed. That behavior was wholly unwarranted and an assault on the freedom of the press to cover the news. The physical risk to Wesley himself is obvious and outrageous.

After being placed in a holding cell, he was released with no charges and no explanation. He was denied information about the names and badge numbers of those who arrested him.

We are relieved that Wesley is going to be OK. We are appalled by the conduct of police officers involved.

Ryan Grimm, Huffington Post’s Washington Bureau Chief issued this statement:

We are relieved Ryan Reilly and Wesley Lowery are safe, but we are disturbed by their arrest and assault.

Ryan was working on his laptop in a McDonald’s near the protests in Ferguson, MO, when police barged in, armed with high-powered weapons, and began clearing the restaurant. Ryan photographed the intrusion, and police demanded his ID in response. Ryan, as is his right, declined to provide it. He proceeded to pack up his belongings, but was subsequently arrested for not packing up fast enough. Both Ryan and Wesley were assaulted.

Compared to some others who have come into contact with the police department, they came out relatively unscathed, but that in no way excuses the false arrest or the militant aggression toward these journalists. Ryan, who has reported multiple times from Guantanamo Bay, said that the police resembled soldiers more than officers, and treated those inside the McDonald’s as “enemy combatants.” Police militarization has been among the most consequential and unnoticed developments of our time, and it is now beginning to affect press freedom.

Filed Under: ferguson, ferguson protests, huffington post, michael brown, washington post,