Texas Tribune / Julius Shieh
Carlos, a FOX 7 photojournalist, lays on the bottom as he’s arrested whereas masking a pro-Palestinian demonstration on the College of Texas at Austin on April 24, 2024.
Join The Transient, The Texas Tribune’s every day publication that retains readers on top of things on probably the most important Texas information.
The Texas Division of Public Security might launch a felony investigation towards a broadcast information cameraman arrested at this week’s College of Texas at Austin demonstration, the company mentioned Friday. That announcement got here shortly after Travis County officers mentioned they dismissed misdemeanor felony trespass prices towards all 57 individuals identified to have been arrested on the protest.
The photojournalist for FOX 7 in Austin was among the many individuals arrested. He was masking the protest and legislation enforcement response, and recognized himself solely as “Carlos” to native media. Neither DPS nor the tv station have publicly named him.
In an announcement Friday, DPS accused him of hitting a trooper along with his digital camera.
“The division believes strongly in a journalist’s proper to cowl occasions of the day in a secure approach; nevertheless, that doesn’t besides an individual from following the legislation or the foundations which were put in place for the protection of others,” Sheridan Nolen, DPS press secretary, mentioned in a Friday assertion.
The company mentioned the matter has been referred to its felony investigations division for additional investigation.
Kevin McPherson, information director at FOX 7, mentioned the group was not in a position to remark presently. However the station posted a duplicate of the DPS assertion on its web site.
A number of movies from the scene posted on the social media web site X present a crush of protesters, officers and journalists chaotically shifting throughout the campus’ South Garden as DPS troopers clear the world. It’s not clear who filmed the movies. A tv photojournalist, loaded with a big shoulder digital camera and backpack, will be seen close to the sting of a line of troopers pushing the gang off the garden.
From a number of angles of the melee captured in a number of movies, together with one filmed by the journalist, it’s clear his digital camera collides with an officer throughout the scuffle.
Video then exhibits a trooper pulling the photojournalist’s backpack and, together with one other officer, throwing him to the bottom. Because the cameraman was being led away by a state trooper, he mentioned to KXAN that he instructed legislation enforcement he was with the press. He additionally mentioned he was being pushed, however didn’t say who was pushing him.
“They had been pushing me and … they are saying I hit an officer,” he says in a video posted on X. “I didn’t hit an officer. They had been pushing. They had been pushing me.”
The creator of the publish didn’t reply to a request for remark from the Tribune.
Carlos’ digital camera continued rolling after he was slammed to the bottom.
“I used to be shifting, I used to be shifting,” Carlos will be heard saying on the footage from his digital camera. He defined that he was pushed and virtually fell.
The officer main him away mentioned, “I wasn’t there to see it.”
FOX 7 reported the photojournalist was booked in Travis County Jail after 8 p.m. on Wednesday and was launched earlier than midday on Thursday.
Travis County Lawyer Delia Garza introduced on Friday that legislation enforcement lacked possible trigger within the 57 felony trespass circumstances stemming from Wednesday’s arrests. There had been no felony prices filed because of the demonstration as of late Thursday, in line with the Travis County district legal professional’s workplace
In a Thursday assertion, Kelley Shannon, govt director for the Freedom of Data Basis of Texas, mentioned that the photojournalist was charged with felony trespass, together with the protesters who had been arrested.
Shannon denounced the arrest and referred to as on legislation enforcement to respect the rights of free press.
“The police shouldn’t intervene with a working journalist doing his job masking the information in a public place,” Shannon mentioned.
Annie Xia contributed to this story.
This text initially appeared within the Texas Tribune.
The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and fascinating Texans on state politics and coverage. Study extra at texastribune.org.
Subscribe to SA Present newsletters.
Observe us: Apple Information | Google Information | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Fb | Twitter| Or join our RSS Feed
