Two journalists got arrested in Ferguson, Missouri. Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery and Huffington Post reporter Ryan Reilly were arrested by police as they were covering the clash between cops and protestors in the Missouri town.
UPDATE – 10:05 p.m.: Both have been released, you can watch their interviews on MSNBC below:
Watch Ryan Reilly on MSNBC HERE.
Watch Wesley Lowery on MSNBC HERE.
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This all started with these two tweets about reporters being arrested:
Two reporters just cuffed and put in cop can outside Ferguson McDonald's where @WesleyLowery said he and @ryanjreilly were working
— Jon Swaine (@jonswaine) August 13, 2014
Tried to get closer to confirm identities of reporters being arrested. Was marched at by cops in riot gear and threatened with arrest
— Jon Swaine (@jonswaine) August 14, 2014
Both Lowery and Reilly were silent on Twitter for a while. Reilly’s colleague Ryan Grim started to worry:
– @ryanjreilly not answering phone or email. https://t.co/id3XlAPTCL
— Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) August 14, 2014
And there were quite a lot of tweets about this:
Photo of reporter I believe to be @ryanjreilly being cuffed and put in a police van minutes ago in #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/l6olRUPk13
— Jon Swaine (@jonswaine) August 14, 2014
I just called Ferguson police chief to ask about @WesleyLowery and @ryanjreilly, told him what I knew. His response: "Oh, God."
— Matt Pearce (@mattdpearce) August 14, 2014
The last two tweets from @ryanjreilly, one a @WesleyLowery RT. #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/2EdjGiCRIl
— John Carvalho (@JohnCarvalhoAU) August 14, 2014
If police f*cked with @ryanjreilly and @WesleyLowery, we have an even BIGGER problem.
— Ethan Klapper (@ethanklapper) August 14, 2014
Free @WesleyLowery & @ryanjreilly. Now.
— Spencer Ackerman (@attackerman) August 14, 2014
MSNBC reporting on rumor of two journalists arrested. @WesleyLowery @ryanjreilly Good job. Not embarrassing at all. #Ferguson
— trishgazall (@trishgazall) August 14, 2014
And then, both Lowery and Reilly reemerged on Twitter, confirming the news:
Well, @WesleyLowery and I have been released. That was an experience.
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) August 14, 2014
Was arrested
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) August 14, 2014
Also Ryan Reilly of Huff Po. Assaulted and arrested
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) August 14, 2014
Officers decided we weren't leaving McDonalds quickly enough, shouldn't have been taping them.
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) August 14, 2014
Released without any charges, no paperwork whatsoever
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) August 14, 2014
Refusing to give us any names of the officers
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) August 14, 2014
Officers slammed me into a fountain soda machine because I was confused about which door they were asking me to walk out of
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) August 14, 2014
Detained, booked, given answers to no questions. Then just let out
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) August 14, 2014
"The chief thought he was doing you a favor" – police officer tells me about release. With no charges, no police report
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) August 14, 2014
Update- 9:22 pm: The Huffington Post called the Ferguson police department to get information about what happened. They got hung up on. Here’s the audio:
And Lowery says he was told it might be a week or so before there’s a report available on his and Reilly’s arrests.
Police now say there might be a report available to Ryan and I in "a week or two"
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) August 14, 2014
[image via screengrab]
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