A Washington Post reporter arrested while covering the protests in Ferguson, Mo., last year has been charged with trespassing and interfering with a police officer.
The Post reports Monday that national desk reporter Wesley Lowery was ordered to appear in court in St. Louis County on charges of trespassing and interfering with a police officer. The summons, dated Aug. 6, orders him to appear on Aug. 24.
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Lowery and Ryan Reilly, a journalist with the Huffington Post, were handcuffed last August inside a fast-food restaurant that reporters had been using as a staging area while covering the Ferguson protests. Both tweeted about their arrests, detention and release without any charges.
Reilly said Monday that he had not received a summons but expected to be charged, the Post reported.
Post executive editor Martin Baron issued a statement, saying, “Charging a reporter with trespassing and interfering with a police officer when he was just doing his job is outrageous.”
Likewise, the Huffington Post issued a statement defending Reilly: “The Huffington Post condemns the charges filed by St. Louis County against our Justice reporter, Ryan J. Reilly, while covering the protests in Ferguson last year. Ryan has the full support of the Huffington Post in fighting these charges.”
