Two Daily Caller reporters were arrested on Wednesday after police began to seriously crackdown on curfew violators after two police officers were shot during the riots in Louisville. The riots were sparked after only one officer involved in the Breonna Taylor case was charged.
Shelby Talcott and Jorge Ventura, who have been on the frontlines of many of the riots across the country this year, were reporting on police clearing Jefferson Square Park after a shooting resulted in two Louisville Metropolitan Police officers being shot as protesters marched towards them in the street.
Talcott and Ventura tweeted police had cornered the rioters, protesters, and other reporters in the park and were beginning to arrest everyone.
We are all on the ground right now and police are taking people and putting them in zip tie cuffs pic.twitter.com/eIJJF1t1Ub
— Shelby Talcott (@ShelbyTalcott) September 24, 2020
Just got arrested by #Louisville PD. I will update everyone when I'm released.
— Jorge Ventura Media (@VenturaReport) September 24, 2020
Geoffrey Ingersoll, editor in chief of the Daily Caller, confirmed Talcott and Ventura were in custody and were going to be charged with violating the 9:00 p.m. curfew despite being verified for working for a news outlet.
Another update: @LMPD tells me @ShelbyTalcott and @JorgeVentura05 will be charged with two misdemeanors related to breaking curfew & unlawful assembly for their alleged failure to comply with police orders to disperse and for press to relegate themselves to an “observation area”
— Geoffrey Ingersoll (@GPIngersoll) September 24, 2020
The Daily Caller also reported the police did not allow Talcott and Ventura to speak with the co-founder of the news organization Neil Patel, who is also an attorney.
Worth noting, the Louisville police refused them the chance to speak with Neil Patel, who is the owner of the @DailyCaller and an attorney.
— David Hookstead (@dhookstead) September 24, 2020
Police never gave a reason for why. That's terrifying. When the police stop you from speaking to a lawyer, we're in big trouble.
As of the afternoon, Ventura was released but Talcottt remains in custody.