Reporters for the Washington Post and the Huffington Post said they were arrested for trespassing Wednesday night in a McDonald’s near the site of ongoing protests against Ferguson, Mo. police over the shooting of an unarmed black teenager.
The Washington Post later published video that reporter Wesley Lowery took of the moments before he was detained.
On the video, an officer tells Lowery to stop videotaping and harries him to get out of the restaurant. At one point, Lowery tries to ask him if the street outside the McDonald’s is closed and if he can move his car. The officer says “we don’t have time to ask questions” before responding.
Multiple officers then grabbed Lowery as he stopped to gather his bag, according to his written account of the arrest:
“My hands are behind my back,” I said. “I’m not resisting. I’m not resisting.” At which point one officer said: “You’re resisting. Stop resisting.”
That was when I was most afraid — more afraid than of the tear gas and rubber bullets.
As they took me into custody, the officers slammed me into a soda machine, at one point setting off the Coke dispenser. They put plastic cuffs on me, then they led me out the door.
Watch below:
