Black CNN Reporter Omar Jimenez Arrested On Air By Minneapolis Cops

Source: Screenshot / CNN

The city of Minneapolis has become the epicenter of a discussion about race and the harsh realities of police brutality as it relates to Black people in the wake of George Floyd‘s tragic death. Adding to this, a Black CNN reporter was arrested during a live broadcast although he and his crew properly identified themselves. Twitter has been heavily discussing the incident where Omar Jimenez, who has worked with CNN since 2017, was covering the tense situation on the ground in South Minneapolis where Floyd, 46, was murdered in front of onlookers over suspicion that he was using a counterfeit bill to make a purchase. The extreme nature of Floyd’s arrest and subsequent murder has caused Minneapolis to erupt in a rage with widespread looting and skirmishes spreading throughout the city. Jimenez was covering the scene when police cornered him and his crew. He can be clearly heard on video saying that he is broadcasting live with CNN, a statement echoed by his camera crew and producer. The police ignored Jimenez and the crew then proceeded to cuff the entire group one by one with Jimenez being taken away from the scene first. What makes this a startling revelation is a white reporter at the same network says that his experience with the police was an exact opposite of Jimenez’s ordeal. CNN president Jeff Zucker reportedly spoke with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who apologized on behalf of the Minneapolis police force that took Jimenez away in cuffs simply for doing his job as a reporter. Jimenez tweeted over an hour ago that he’s back to reporting the news on location.

Across Twitter, reaction to the arrest of Omar Jimenez has been ongoing since this morning. We’ve got the reactions to the incident listed out below.

— Photo: CNN