The whole CNN team of four was arrested including the white producer and a latino cameraman.

How it played out was interesting though. Arrested reporter first and only after some time came back and arrested the others.

If the intent was to arrest them all, they would have said "you're all under arrest". This smells like they arrested the guy, went "oh shit lets arrest the others too so people don't say we're racist"

Sounds like their modus operandi. What would they do in most situations? Find a reason to justify their actions. Who knows about all the bullshit they came up with on so many prior charges.

This is very much systemic.

Yep.

> Perhaps it’s all coincidence.

That's being extremely charitable.

Or sarcastic

The crew headed by the white reporter moved when police asked, they were behind “the line”. The crew that was arrested should not have been but it’s not the same scenario.

Are you sure it’s as simple as “this guy was black”? If you aren’t sure it seems like a bad accusation to make.

Of course we can’t know, but the police are giving bogus explanations so it’s hard to give them good faith. They would probably do the same if they arrested a white crew.

The larger story is that there is close to zero accountability for police in this country. At least a small minority of cops are racist and violent and use the opportunity to murder citizens and other police will not speak out.

The crew headed by the black reporter was complying and simply asking where was OK to move to when they were arrested.

Yes, that is what happened. I never said otherwise or disagreed.

The arrested crew did not move. They asked for clarification and were arrested. That’s wrong.

But the crew that was not arrested did move. They didn’t ask for clarification, the just moved then went back to reporting.

The accusation above is that the white, Latino and black guy were arrested because the reporter is black. Is there anything to support that?

The person you are replying to just pointed out the race of relevant parties.

> Are you sure it’s as simple as “this guy was black”? If you aren’t sure it seems like a bad accusation to make.

Come again? First, the post doesn't rise to the level of "accusation." In fact, it explicitly leaves open the possibility that it's a coincidence.

Second, should we just not mention statistically relevant variables? Not report on facts? Do you doubt that race played a factor in this specific case, or that it is often relevant?

> race of relevant parties.

Except that also arrested was a white guy and a latino guy.

Aren’t those relevant variables?

I don't think the police of that city hold a high enough social credibility to be given the benefit of the doubt right now. There is a long and well documented history of racism in that department. So when they do something that might be driven by racism, and the only information we have to go in is past behavior, it would be foolish to assume that racism didn't play a part in their decision.

The producer and camera man were not so it was not strictly based on race. I just find it very convenient there is no other video of the arrest. They were probably the only camera crew around and the cops wanted them gone.

Convenient for who?

Either of them. CNN essentially controls the story. The cops could have thought they could have quietly gotten rid a potential source of trouble.

The cops could have controlled the story by not arresting a journalism crew.

And that is a defense of the cops' actions how?