In November, Wall Street Journal reporter Dion Rabouin was detained by a Phoenix police officer while conducting interviews on the sidewalk outside a Chase Bank location.
Phoenix police said Wednesday that the officer who detained him was not wrong for doing so. The newspaper disagrees.
Officer Caleb Zimmerman wrote in a police report that Rabouin trespassed on the property. Zimmerman handcuffed and placed Rabouin in the back of a police vehicle before eventually releasing the reporter.
Private property laws can sometimes complicate newsgathering. But in cellphone video taken by Phoenix resident Katelyn Parady, she and Rabouin can be heard saying he was willing to leave.
In a statement Thursday, the Wall Street Journal said the “video speaks for itself” and shows Rabouin being detained “simply for reporting.”
That is “outrageous,” the outlet said, “no matter the outcome of the internal investigation."
Phoenix police officials said they found that “allegations of unlawful detention, detention based on race and excessive force were unfounded.”
Full statement from Wall Street Journal:
"The video speaks for itself. The Phoenix Police Department handcuffed our journalist and placed him in the back of a police vehicle simply for reporting. That is outrageous, no matter the outcome of the internal investigation."
