CNN reporter Omar Jimenez's arrest on live TV while covering Minneapolis riots angers journalists

Jimenez, who is black and Latino, was identifying himself to Minnesota State Patrol officers and asking them whether he should move out of the way when he was abruptly taken into custody along with his producer, Bill Kirkos, and photojournalist Leonel Mendez while live on air early this morning. Jimenez was covering the riots sparked by the death of George Floyd after an officer placed his knee on Floyd's neck while in Minneapolis police custody on Memorial Day. Jimenez was soon released after Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz intervened in response to CNN's complaint. Walz said he "deeply apologizes" for what happened and described the arrests as "unacceptable." Jimenez's arrest stunned journalists who accused the Minnesota State Patrol of violating the First Amendment right to a free press. Journalists were further incensed when the Minnesota State Patrol tweeted that it released Jimenez and his crew "once they were confirmed to be members of the media," when live footage showed Jimenez identifying himself as a CNN journalist before his arrest. “This is a professional journalist working for a network that regularly reports live from global hotspots. Wars, riots, coups. I can’t recall one of its correspondents ever being arrested live on TV for doing their job,” said CBS News political correspondent Ed O’Keefe. MSNBC's Chris Jansing wondered why a black CNN reporter was arrested while a white CNN reporter nearby was treated much differently. MSNBC also issued a statement objecting to Jimenez's arrest. “As a reporter, I’ve been detained in Iran, spied on in China, and followed and harassed in Russia," tweeted CNN's national security correspondent Jim Sciutto. "I’ve never had colleagues arrested and handcuffed while doing their job here in the US." After Jimenez was released, he was back reporting live on CNN. “I am thankful that it happened on live TV, so that you are able to see it, I was able — I lived it, and people around the country were able to watch and see how it unfolded so there is no doubt as to what happened," Jimenez said.