Cops Say They Released CNN Crew as Soon as They Confirmed They Were Media—Footage Suggests Otherwise

Minnesota State Patrol has said it released three CNN crew from detention after confirming they were members of the media—despite live TV footage showing them displaying their credentials before the arrest. The arrest of black CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez and his two crew members, Bill Kirkos and Leonel Mendez, sparked outrage Friday morning. The trio was in Minneapolis to report on the third night of protests against the death of unarmed black man George Floyd, who died after footage showed a cop kneeling on his neck. In the broadcast of Jimenez’s arrest, the correspondent can be seen presenting his credentials to officers—he was also being filmed by TV cameras at the time. Despite that, the state patrol claims it was unsure if Jimenez was a journalist when its officers arrested him. “In the course of clearing the streets and restoring order at Lake Street and Snelling Avenue, four people were arrested by State Patrol troopers, including three members of a CNN crew,” read the Minnesota State Patrol statement posted on Twitter. “The three were released once they were confirmed to be members of the media.”

CNN responded: “This is not accurate—our CNN crew identified themselves, on live television, immediately as journalists.”