An LAPD officer assaulted photojournalist Nick Stern (foreground) after he held up his LA Press Club press pass (Screenshot taken from video by Tina Berg).
With co-counsel, FAC has asked a federal judge to hold the City of Los Angeles in contempt for violating a month-old court order in the case of L.A. Press Club v. Los Angeles Police Department.
The court’s temporary restraining order, issued on July 10, prohibits LAPD officers from stopping journalists from entering or remaining in closed areas; assaulting, interfering, or detaining, or arresting journalists who are “gathering, receiving, or processing information for communication to the public”; and citing, detaining or arresting journalists in closed areas for failure to disperse, violation of curfew, or obstructing a law enforcement officer for gathering, receiving, or processing information.
And yet, LAPD did just that.
On Friday August 8, LAPD officers assaulted and detained journalists who were covering a protest at a federal detention center in downtown L.A. Sean Beckner-Carmitchel, a journalist and member of the L.A. Press Club, was shoved and hit in the ribs with a baton by an LAPD officer. Photojournalist Nick Stern was hit in the face, causing his chin to bleed. And Tina Berg of Status Coup was shoved and suffered a deep cut to her left hand.
The application filed last night with the court asks it to hold a hearing on defendants’ noncompliance with its temporary restraining order and to find that they have violated the order and are in contempt of court. It also asks the court to sanction the city to prevent the LAPD from continuing to violate the order.