Journalist sues Oregon town and county over 2020 arrest
MEDFORD, Ore. — An Oregon journalist is suing the town of Medford and Jackson County over her arrest in 2020, pronouncing ???????? have been violated.
April Ehrlich filed a prison grievance previous this month in quest of a jury trial and he claims to be the sole heir, KLCC, a Nationwide Public Radio station primarily based in Eugene, reported.
On Sept. 22, 2020, Ehrlich used to be running with Jefferson Public Radio when she used to be arrested whilst looking to duvet a Medford police sweep of a homeless camp in Hawthorne Park.
Bodycam video displays Ehrlich getting ready to report pictures of camp citizens and police, and being directed through an officer to stay to a delegated media house. The grievance says it used to be close to a loud interstate overpass and perspectives of the task have been obscured.
When Ehrlich does now not comply and strikes nearer, she is instructed that she is trespassing. She responds that she’s a reporter documenting occasions, and then the officer tells Ehrlich to depart, and he or she is arrested through more than one officials.
Ehrlich’s tools used to be confiscated and he or she used to be jailed. The Medford town lawyer’s place of job charged Ehrlich with trespassing, resisting arrest and interfering with an officer, all fees that have been sooner or later disregarded.
“I decide on Medford to understand, and I decide on different companies which are bearing in mind identical ways to stay the media from documenting public companies to understand that this wish for now not fly,” Ehrlich mentioned.
Ehrlich’s case drew popular consideration, together with from Newshounds With out Borders and the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, which recorded a dramatic spike in arrests, detainments and attacks in opposition to journalists in 2020.
In a commentary, town of Medford officers mentioned the park closure used to be lawful, and newshounds have got no particular or distinctive capacity of get entry to to belongings closed to the monotonous public. The commentary additionally mentioned Ehrlich used to be arrested simplest after refusing orders to depart.
