The Daily Caller Threatens to Sue Louisville Police After Two of its Reporters Arrested During Riots

Rudy TakalaSep 24th, 2020, 11:07 am
 

LP

The Daily Caller is threatening to sue the Louisville Metro Police Department after officers reportedly arrested and charged two of its reporters with misdemeanors related to breaking curfew during riots in Louisville, Kentucky on Wednesday evening.

Footage showed the outlet’s Shelby Talcott and Jorge Ventura being detained shortly before midnight for attempting to record riots taking place related to the death of Breonna Taylor. Daily Caller Editor in Chief Geoffrey Ingersoll initially expressed hope on Twitter that the pair would be released promptly, writing that he had notified Louisville police that they “were reporting for an accredited media outlet … in the capacity of press” and adding, “My expectation is that they will be swiftly released.”

A little after midnight, Ingersoll indicated police had refused to release the reporters, and that they would be “charged with two misdemeanors related to breaking curfew and unlawful assembly for their alleged failure to comply with police orders to disperse and for press to relegate themselves to an ‘observation area.'”

Another reporter for the outlet, Richie McGinniss, said police relayed they would not be eligible for bail until at least Friday. In a statement through McGinniss, Talcott said police were not holding prisoners in compliance with social distancing protocols. “This is absurd,” Talcott said. “I am packed in with 28 other people in a 20×20 cell. Not all of us have masks, and there is not enough room so people are sleeping on the floor.”

In messages published on Twitter Thursday morning, Daily Caller publisher Neil Patel said he feared for their safety and threatened to sue police. “They will not even let us speak with them,” Patel wrote. “Given the fact that our reporters have been repeatedly harassed, punched and even shot at during past protests, we fear for their safety in lockup with people who may want to do them harm.

“Unlike other outlets, we have interviewed police about this and told their side of the story,” he added. “But this is not China. Those reporters flat out have a constitutionally protected role to play on our streets. The Louisville Police Department (@LMPD) is going to find out all about this in the form of a lawsuit unless things start changing fast.”

Riots broke out in the city on Wednesday after prosecutors announced a grand jury’s determination that officers were justified in killing Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Louisville woman shot when six members of the city’s police department broke into her home in March. One officer was indicted for wanton endangerment related to bullets he fired into neighboring apartments.

Two police officers were shot and at least 127 people were arrested over the course of unrest in the city on Wednesday evening. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer declared a state of emergency and announced a 9:00 p.m. curfew extending at least through Friday.

The Louisville Metro Police Department did not return a request for comment from Mediaite.

UPDATE: Brendan Gutenschwager, a videographer on the scene in Louisville, indicated on Twitter around noon on Thursday that police planned to release the reporters. “They are being ROR’d (Released on Recognizance) in the next 4 hours, no bail or bond necessary. Charges still remaining for now,” Gutenschwager wrote.

UPDATE II: The Daily Caller announced on Twitter that Talcott was released shortly after Ventura on Thursday evening, writing, “After 16 hours, Shelby Talcott has been released by LMPD. Apparently she was one of the last two out of 28 people to be released from her cell even though authorities knew she was a reporter and had no criminal history.”

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