ABC - ABC NEWS PRODUCER ARRESTED IN DENVER

A reporter/producer for Brian Ross's ABC News investigative unit was arrested in Denver Wednesday while he and a cameraman were taking pictures of Democratic senators attending the Democratic convention meeting with potential campaign donors. The arrest of Asa Eslocker was captured by his cameraman and was featured on ABC's World News With Charles Gibson -- and the clip was quickly posted on numerous websites. Eslocker's arrest took place on the sidewalk in front of the Brown Palace Hotel, which claimed that the sidewalk is private property and that Eslocker was trespassing (although several pedestrians are also seen walking on the sidewalk). Eslocker was apparently unaware of the hotel's claim to ownership of the sidewalk because he is seen exclaiming to an officer pushing him away, "I was on public property on the sidewalk!" ABC later reported that Eslocker had been charged with trespass, interference with a police officer, and failure to follow a lawful order. He was released later after posting $500 bail. In an interview with the Washington Post, ABC spokesman Jeffrey Schneider said, "We expect to see this kind of behavior in Myanmar, not in Denver, Colorado, at a national political convention where a reporter is trying to videotape big-money donors trying to meet with elected officials."

28/08/2008