LAPD can't use less-lethal weapons against journalists, federal judge orders
The July 10 order came less than a month after the First Amendment Coalition filed a lawsuit against the department on behalf of the Los Angeles Press Club and the independent media outlet Status Coup in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
The order upholds the 'critical role that journalists serve in Los Angeles,' Adam Rose, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Press Club, said on July 11.
'It also affirms what we've been telling LAPD for years: they're not following the law,' Rose said.
The order said the department cannot use less-lethal munitions or other crowd-control measures against journalists who 'are not posing a threat of imminent harm to an officer or another person.'
USA TODAY reached out to the LAPD for comment.
The order also said the department was enjoined, or prohibited, from:
'Prohibiting a journalist from entering or remaining in the closed areas.'
'Intentionally assaulting, interfering with or obstructing any journalist who is gathering, receiving or processing information for communication to the public – including by restricting journalists to areas from which they do not have sufficient opportunity to observe and report on protests, including the interaction between police and protesters.'
'Citing, detaining or arresting a journalist who is in a closed area for failure to disperse, curfew violation or obstruction of a law enforcement officer for gathering, receiving or processing information."
A preliminary injunction hearing is scheduled for July 24.
BrieAnna Frank is a First Amendment Reporting Fellow at USA TODAY. Reach her at bjfrank@usatoday.com.
USA TODAY's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LAPD can't use less-lethal weapons against journalists, judge orders
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