ABC reporter arrested in Denver

[NoOneLikesUs]

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=5670682

http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=5668622

DENVER--Police in Denver arrested an ABC News producer today as he and a camera crew were attempting to take pictures on a public sidewalk of Democratic Senators and VIP donors leaving a private meeting at the Brown Palace Hotel.

Police on the scene refused to tell ABC lawyers the charges against the producer, Asa Eslocker, who works with the ABC News investigative unit.

Terrifying stuff.

 

[DanOregon]

Now our law enforcement is being out-sourced to China.

 

[Gomer]

Here's something from the comments portion of the story which I find interesting since it's not included in ABC's report:

On behalf of The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa: The ABC news cameras were intruding on the entrance of the hotel, creating an unsafe entrance/exit for our guests, which are our priority at all times. The Denver Police Department asked them to move to the side several times so that our guests could enter/exit, and ABC refused. ABC was clearly told that they could stand on the sidewalk but it is illegal to block an entrance to any business, which is what they were doing. After not complying with the police requests, they were then asked to move to the other side of the street. It is our understanding that ABC continued to speak belligerently to the police and were arrested for not complying with police orders. The arrest resulted from issues between the police and ABC, not The Brown Palace Hotel.

Of course, it could be untrue, but I'm interested to see where this story goes. Quite disturbing if ABC did nothing wrong.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

Here's something from the comments portion of the story which I find interesting since it's not included in ABC's report:

On behalf of The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa: The ABC news cameras were intruding on the entrance of the hotel, creating an unsafe entrance/exit for our guests, which are our priority at all times. The Denver Police Department asked them to move to the side several times so that our guests could enter/exit, and ABC refused. ABC was clearly told that they could stand on the sidewalk but it is illegal to block an entrance to any business, which is what they were doing. After not complying with the police requests, they were then asked to move to the other side of the street. It is our understanding that ABC continued to speak belligerently to the police and were arrested for not complying with police orders. The arrest resulted from issues between the police and ABC, not The Brown Palace Hotel.

Of course, it could be untrue, but I'm interested to see where this story goes. Quite disturbing if ABC did nothing wrong.

If they were blocking the entrance in violation of local law, they did something wrong. And after all the years of putting up with rude camcorderbois as a sports writer ... **** 'em.

 

[Gomer]

I'm just saying, keep in mind that's a comment that hasn't been attributed or confirmed. But yes, if they broke the law, then posted a biased story to make them look like angels, **** 'em with a rusty nail.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

Here's something from the comments portion of the story which I find interesting since it's not included in ABC's report:

On behalf of The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa: The ABC news cameras were intruding on the entrance of the hotel, creating an unsafe entrance/exit for our guests, which are our priority at all times. The Denver Police Department asked them to move to the side several times so that our guests could enter/exit, and ABC refused. ABC was clearly told that they could stand on the sidewalk but it is illegal to block an entrance to any business, which is what they were doing. After not complying with the police requests, they were then asked to move to the other side of the street. It is our understanding that ABC continued to speak belligerently to the police and were arrested for not complying with police orders. The arrest resulted from issues between the police and ABC, not The Brown Palace Hotel.

Of course, it could be untrue, but I'm interested to see where this story goes. Quite disturbing if ABC did nothing wrong.

If they were blocking the entrance in violation of local law, they did something wrong. And after all the years of putting up with rude camcorderbois as a sports writer ... **** 'em.

Jesus, stuff like this just makes my head hurt.

If you believe a producer and a photographer were somehow making it unsafe for people to enter or leave the hotel, you're completely nuts.

Here's the thing about working in news: the cops -- particularly rookie cops - **** with you all the time. A cop cannot tell you to go take your camera on the other side of the street when the rest of the public is allowed there on the sidewalk. They try that **** all the time, and they legally are not allowed to do it. It's not ****ing Beijing. We have a free press. You don't shuffle around and do your job wherever a Denver cop orders you to stand. I'm not going to sell out a journalist because some PR flak for a hotel posts a CYA comment on a website.

 

[micropolitan guy]

Must be a small hotel to have only one exit door that could be completely blocked by a producer and a TV camera. Perhaps the fire marshall might be interested to know the hotel has such a small exit area.

 

[PeterGibbons]

Here's something from the comments portion of the story which I find interesting since it's not included in ABC's report:

On behalf of The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa: The ABC news cameras were intruding on the entrance of the hotel, creating an unsafe entrance/exit for our guests, which are our priority at all times. The Denver Police Department asked them to move to the side several times so that our guests could enter/exit, and ABC refused. ABC was clearly told that they could stand on the sidewalk but it is illegal to block an entrance to any business, which is what they were doing. After not complying with the police requests, they were then asked to move to the other side of the street. It is our understanding that ABC continued to speak belligerently to the police and were arrested for not complying with police orders. The arrest resulted from issues between the police and ABC, not The Brown Palace Hotel.

Of course, it could be untrue, but I'm interested to see where this story goes. Quite disturbing if ABC did nothing wrong.

If they were blocking the entrance in violation of local law, they did something wrong. And after all the years of putting up with rude camcorderbois as a sports writer ... **** 'em.

Jesus, stuff like this just makes my head hurt.

If you believe a producer and a photographer were somehow making it unsafe for people to enter or leave the hotel, you're completely nuts.

Here's the thing about working in news: the cops -- particularly rookie cops - **** with you all the time. A cop cannot tell you to go take your camera on the other side of the street when the rest of the public is allowed there on the sidewalk. They try that **** all the time, and they legally are not allowed to do it. It's not ****ing Beijing. We have a free press. You don't shuffle around and do your job wherever a Denver cop orders you to stand. I'm not going to sell out a journalist because some PR flak for a hotel posts a CYA comment on a website.

While I'll never be mistaken as a fan of TV "News," I'm with you on that one, cops WAY too often have a hard time understanding the whole first amendment part of the constitution.

 

[KP]

Here's something from the comments portion of the story which I find interesting since it's not included in ABC's report:

On behalf of The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa: The ABC news cameras were intruding on the entrance of the hotel, creating an unsafe entrance/exit for our guests, which are our priority at all times. The Denver Police Department asked them to move to the side several times so that our guests could enter/exit, and ABC refused. ABC was clearly told that they could stand on the sidewalk but it is illegal to block an entrance to any business, which is what they were doing. After not complying with the police requests, they were then asked to move to the other side of the street. It is our understanding that ABC continued to speak belligerently to the police and were arrested for not complying with police orders. The arrest resulted from issues between the police and ABC, not The Brown Palace Hotel.

Of course, it could be untrue, but I'm interested to see where this story goes. Quite disturbing if ABC did nothing wrong.

If they were blocking the entrance in violation of local law, they did something wrong. And after all the years of putting up with rude camcorderbois as a sports writer ... **** 'em.

Jesus, stuff like this just makes my head hurt.

If you believe a producer and a photographer were somehow making it unsafe for people to enter or leave the hotel, you're completely nuts.

Here's the thing about working in news: the cops -- particularly rookie cops - **** with you all the time. A cop cannot tell you to go take your camera on the other side of the street when the rest of the public is allowed there on the sidewalk. They try that **** all the time, and they legally are not allowed to do it. It's not ****ing Beijing. We have a free press. You don't shuffle around and do your job wherever a Denver cop orders you to stand. I'm not going to sell out a journalist because some PR flak for a hotel posts a CYA comment on a website.

While I'll never be mistaken as a fan of TV "News," I'm with you on that one, cops WAY too often have a hard time understanding the whole first amendment part of the constitution.

The reason they do it is because its easier and they figure the odds of getting called out on it and having anything done about it are slim. Slim may have just stepped to the table.

 

[DCaraviello]

Goodness, that video is frightening. No way they're blocking the entrance -- they're standing off to the side, and it looks like a wide, busy sidewalk. Pushing the guy into the street, grabbing him by the neck -- indefensible behavior by the Denver Police Department.

 

[Elliotte Friedman]

Well said, PC.

If it was a print reporter, nobody on this site would have spent a microsecond on the flak's comment.

 

[derwood]

Must be a small hotel to have only one exit door that could be completely blocked by a producer and a TV camera. Perhaps the fire marshall might be interested to know the hotel has such a small exit area.

fyi - it is a very small, very old hotel. two entarnces.

 

[Kato]

I'm not sure what was more disturbing, the cop pushing the producer out into a downtown Denver street or the douchebag chomping on a cigar while putting down the choke hold.

 

[The Big Ragu]

I'm not sure what was more disturbing, the cop pushing the producer out into a downtown Denver street or the douchebag chomping on a cigar while putting down the choke hold.

Hey give him a break. He took the cigar out of his mouth to say, "You're under arrest, buster."

"Courtesy, Professionalism, Respect."

 

[goalmouth]

Police behavior is understandable once people understand that they are a para-military organization.

 

[SF_Express]

Not excusing it, excessive and wrong. My only question/problem: When police tell you to move, you're supposed to move, right? If they're wrong, you sort it out wherever. But that's where you get "failure to follow a lawful order."

I don't think, right or wrong, a news person is supposed to be openly ignoring what the cop told him to do.

Does that make sense, without sounding like I'm defending it?

 

[rascalface]

I guess that depends on whether a cop telling you to vacate public property where you have every right to be constitutes a "lawful order." I'm no lawyer, but from a layman's perspective this whole thing stinks.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

Not excusing it, excessive and wrong. My only question/problem: When police tell you to move, you're supposed to move, right? If they're wrong, you sort it out wherever. But that's where you get "failure to follow a lawful order."

I don't think, right or wrong, a news person is supposed to be openly ignoring what the copy told him to do.

Does that make sense, without sounding like I'm defending it?

No. That's not a lawful order. A badge is not blanket permission for a cop to tell people what to do. If the crew is doing nothing wrong the cop has no right to order them to leave.

If he somehow decides he needs to clear the sidewalk and orders everyone to the other side, that's one thing. He cannot allow the general public on the sidewalk and order cameras to go across the street.

It's news - there's no "sort it out wherever." The crew was there to get video of people leaving the hotel - how do you sort it out after the people have left the hotel?

 

[Diabeetus]

None of the video links are working anymore

 

[fossywriter8]

None of the video links are working anymore

Use the video link at the start of the topic thread, not the one in the story. I just clicked on it and it worked fine.