KPCC’s @josie_huang was forced to ground by five LA County sheriff’s deputies and arrested last night while covering the arrest of a protestor

Jailed & released this AM after being charge w misdemeanor obstruction of justice https://twitter.com/stoltzefrankly/status/1305036309551935489

LA County Sheriff’s Dept says Huang ignored warnings and did not ID herself until later

Others present said she shouted out she was w KPCC - Southern California Public Radio

KPCC Executive Editor Megan Garvey to me: “It’s a critical role of the media to report on matters of public interest - including protest - and including police conduct. And that was exactly what Josie was doing.”

Tensions are high; Huang had just covered press conference at hospital where two deputies were being treated for life threatening gunshot wounds to head by man who video appears to show ambushed them in patrol car

Protest at hospital involved small number of people, who were verbally provocative; ambush followed local protests against shootings of Latino & Black men by law enforcement officers

KPCC is seeking for charges to be dropped and for Sheriff’s Dept to apologize

As KPCC Chief content officer @KrisMul notes, her journalists have been tear gassed, roughed up - even shot in throat w rubber bullet - all of which inhibits reporting by an independent press https://twitter.com/krismul/status/1305074566297825281

Sheriff’s department said Huang’s actions “interfered” with arrest of protester @LASDHQ https://twitter.com/lasdhq/status/1305073655244677121

NPR’s news chief, SVP Nancy Barnes @nancycbarnes, issuer statement against sheriff department’s arrest