Breaking: Kenosha Police Arrest NBC Freelancer Trying to Photograph Rittenhouse Jurors
Police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Wednesday said they had detained a person who was suspected of attempting to film the jurors in the Kyle Rittenhouse homicide trial.
The Kenosha Police Department’s Twitter account shared the news Thursday morning, noting that the individual, who was not named by police, was allegedly affiliated with a media outlet.
“Last night a person who is alleging to be affiliated with a national media outlet was briefly taken into custody and issued several traffic related citations,” Kenosha police said in a statement posted on Twitter. “Police suspect this person was trying to photograph jurors. This incident is being investigated much further.”
Last night a person who is alleging to be affiliated with a national media outlet was briefly taken into custody and issued several traffic related citations. Police suspect this person was trying to photograph jurors. This incident is being investigated much further.
— Kenosha Police Dept. (@KenoshaPolice) November 18, 2021
A spokesperson for NBC News later confirmed in a statement that “a freelancer received a traffic citation,” according to Jeremy Barr of The Washington Post.
Just in: NBC News spox denies any attempt to photograph Rittenhouse jurors
“While the traffic violation took place near the jury van, the freelancer never contacted or intended to contact the jurors during deliberations, and never photographed or intended to photograph them.” pic.twitter.com/nm9eKS09zr
— Jeremy Barr (@jeremymbarr) November 18, 2021
Later, the department issued an update saying that while an investigation will continue into the incident, it is not believed the person took any photos.
“There was no breach of security regarding the jury, nor were there any photographs obtained,” the department said. “This investigation remains active and open, no further information.”
There was no breach of security regarding the jury, nor were there any photographs obtained. This investigation remains active and open, no further information.
— Kenosha Police Dept. (@KenoshaPolice) November 18, 2021
Judge Bruce Schroeder had said during Thursday’s trial proceedings that the man who was detained claimed to be a producer for MSNBC. MSNBC and NBC are separate broadcasting channels both owned by NBCUniversal.
? The Rittenhouse judge said an MSNBC producer was caught following the jury bus & MSNBC is now banned from the courthouse.
“No one from MSNBC news will be permitted in this building … this is an extremely serious matter and will be referred to the proper authorities.” pic.twitter.com/Erjxfk2VL2
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) November 18, 2021
A reporter was caught following the jury bus, and has been BANNED from the court.
Judge Schroeder: “No one from MSNBC News will be permitted in this building —someone who’s following a jury bus is an extremely serious matter.”
— Alana Mastrangelo (@ARmastrangelo) November 18, 2021
That individual was pulled over by police, Schroeder said, after police saw them following the jury bus.
Schroeder said that no person from MSNBC will be allowed in the courtroom for the duration of the trial.
Police did not say when they would offer any additional updates on the matter.
Last week, The Journal Times of Racine County, Wisconsin, reported that another person was caught taking video of jurors in the trial.
That person reportedly deleted the video after being directed to do so by a law enforcement officer.
Jurors are currently in their third day of deliberations with regard to the case in which the state of Wisconsin has accused Rittenhouse, then 17 years old, of homicide in the shooting deaths of Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber on Aug. 25, 2020, during a riot.
Following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, the city experienced wide-scale riots. Rittenhouse shot Rosenbaum, Huber and another man named Gaige Grosskreutz following a chaotic scene in which the teen was at least once struck in the head with a skateboard from a man believed to be Huber.
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