CNN Correspondent Omar Jimenez and Camera Crew Arrested by Minneapolis State Patrol on Live TV, Released an Hour Later

During a live airing at 5:10 AM in Minneapolis on May 29, CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez and members of the camera crew were arrested by officers from the Minneapolis State Patrol, CNN reports.

On Friday morning, the CNN crew was at the site of the current intense protests for George Floyd in Minneapolis. Omar Jimenez was in the middle of reporting about the recent happenings at the site, specifically the events that took place once the police finally arrived at the scene.

State patrol can be seen lined up in horizontal fashion blocking the street in both directions, surrounding the CNN crew. The crew captured the arrest of a protester who was tackled to the ground by patrol officers with long wooden batons.

As Jimenez reports about the patrols act of moving protesters, suddenly a state patrol officer who was standing behind him tells the reporters that he was under arrest. When asked why he was under arrest, the officers did not give him a response. Omar Jimenez was taken into police custody on live television.

“We were just out here reporting the closure of the streets. Omar was just arrested. I believe we are all about to be arrested,” said the cameraman.

As the live broadcast continued, producer Bill Kirkos and photojournalist Leonel Mendez were taken into custody.

According to CNN, Omar Jimenez and the crew were reporting near a police precinct that was abandoned by officers and eventually burned down by protestors. There were over 100 body armored state police officers that surrounded the CNN crew on Friday morning.

They were released an hour later. “We’re doing OK, now. There were a few uneasy moments there,” Jimenez said.

Could this have been an act of racism? There was another CNN reporter at the site, Josh Campbell, who is white, that was also at the site at the same time as Jimenez who is black and latino. Campbell did not have a crew with him. He was approached by police, but allowed to stay on the site.