Two Daily Caller reporters who were arrested late Wednesday night while covering the protests in Louisville, Kentucky, have been released after being held more than 12 hours.
Shelby Talcott and Jorge Ventura were covering the demonstrations when they were detained and ultimately taken into custody after repeatedly attempting to inform authorities they were members of the press. Drew Hernandez, host of the show Lives Matter, was also arrested.
Ventura tweeted news of his release at 2:20 p.m. on Thursday. News came of Talcott’s release almost three hours later. It is unclear if Hernandez has, as of 5:20 p.m. on Thursday, been released.
Just got released from jail after I was arrested last night reporting on the ground. @livesmattershow and @ShelbyTalcott are still detained at the moment. #Louisville
— Jorge Ventura Media (@VenturaReport) September 24, 2020
And there it is. After 16 hours, @ShelbyTalcott has been released by @LMPD. Apparently she was one of the last two out of 28 people to be released from her cell even though authorities knew she was a reporter and had no criminal history.
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 24, 2020
Also, huge thanks to everyone in media (left, right, and center) who drew awareness to this issue. We appreciate your support.
Continue to follow @ShelbyTalcott and @VenturaReport for coverage.
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 24, 2020
Hernandez tweeted on Wednesday night, “I’m about to be detained and many other press members. Pray for us.” It is unclear, besides Talcott and Ventura, to whom Hernandez may have been referring.
I’m about to be detained and many other press members
Pray for us
— Drew Hernandez (@livesmattershow) September 24, 2020
Daily Caller Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Ingersoll tweeted soon after his reporters were detained that he had been informed by the Louisville Metro Police Department that the two would be charged with “misdemeanors related to breaking curfew & unlawful assembly for their alleged failure to comply with police orders to disperse and for press to relegate themselves to an ‘observation area.'”
Another update: @LMPD tells me @ShelbyTalcott and @JorgeVentura05 will be charged with two misdemeanors related to breaking curfew & unlawful assembly for their alleged failure to comply with police orders to disperse and for press to relegate themselves to an “observation area”
— Geoffrey Ingersoll (@GPIngersoll) September 24, 2020
On Wednesday, the mayor of Louisville declared that a curfew in the city would begin at 9 p.m. in preparation for the announcement of charges in the case of the death of Breonna Taylor. Media personnel are generally given an exception to curfew rules so that they can cover demonstrations effectively.
Olivia Krauth, a reporter for the Louisville Courier-Journal, tweeted that earlier in the week, police said, “Media is not subject to the curfew if they are working and providing coverage to a designated audience.” The department added, “When a declaration of an unlawful assembly is given, media is expected to remain as a bystander/observer of the activity, not a participant, or in any way hinder the operations of officers. If you do not comply with directions from the police, you could be subject to arrest.”
The Washington Examiner attempted to contact the Louisville Metro Police Department’s media and public relations department to gain clarification on the matter as well as information about the so-called “observation area.” The Washington Examiner called the listed number 10 times but was unable to reach anyone. Additionally, the department’s voicemail inbox was full, and the department provided no email information on its website, giving no way for a message to be left.
Neil Patel, publisher of the Daily Caller, has threatened the department with a lawsuit over the incident. “I don’t love suing people, and it’s not something I’m eager to do, but if they don’t give us a good explanation on what happened and how then I would certainly look into doing that,” he told the Washington Examiner.
