Journalists Allege Police Harassment at Minnesota Protests
BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (AP) -- Some journalists covering protests over a police shooting in suburban Minneapolis say police have harassed them despite a federal order to leave them alone.
U.S. District Judge Wilhelmina Wright issued a temporary restraining order Friday prohibiting police managing the Brooklyn Center protests from arresting or using force against reporters.
But journalists posted photos on social media showing officers checking their credentials Friday evening and in at least one case spraying a pair of journalists with a chemical irritant. One freelance photographer says police punched him in the face and smashed his head into the ground.
A Minnesota Department of Public Safety spokesman says no journalists were arrested Friday.