The Daily Caller’s publisher on Thursday threatened to sue the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) after police arrested and charged two of the media outlet’s reporters.
“The Louisville police arrested two of our employees Wednesday night. We have informed the police that these are reporters who were peacefully doing their job, but they are still refusing to release them,” Neil Patel wrote in a social media statement.
“They will not even let us speak with them. Given the fact that our reporters have been repeatedly harassed, punched, and even shot at during past protests, we fear for their safety in lockup with people who may want to do them harm.”
Patel said the reporters were free to report on protests and demonstrations, citing the Constitution.
LMPD “is going to find out all about this in the form of a lawsuit unless things start changing fast,” he added.
Daily Caller Editor in Chief Geoffrey Ingersoll identified the reporters as Shelby Talcott and Jorge Ventura.
The pair have been among the journalists traveling around the country, documenting unrest that’s taken place in various cities since late May.
According to the Daily Caller, the curfew in place in Louisville did not apply to reporters.
“Police gave several orders to disperse as they attempted to clear Jefferson Square Park. Many of the media covering the event, moved to a corner to continue to film at direction of police,” he said.
“The two media members you are referring chose not to and were still among the crowd of people who were detained and arrested for curfew violations and unlawful assembly.”
The curfew exemption ceased to exist when the group the reporters were in was deemed an unlawful assembly, police said.
Interim Police Chief Robert Schroeder told reporters on Thursday that police declared an unlawful assembly around the park just after the curfew started.
