#NPR reporter cries in pain during arrest while covering LA protest: video

Disturbing video shows an NPR reporter being flung around and pinned to the ground by several officers in California — including one who stands on her phone as she attempted to record them — while she covered protests over the shooting of two Los Angeles deputies.

KPCC’s Josie Huang, who also covers news for LAist, cried out in pain as she was grabbed shortly after filming protesters shouting “we hope they die!” outside the hospital where the two deputies were still fighting for their lives after Saturday’s ambush.

Huang’s own footage caught her filming one of the protesters being arrested in the street — then crying “ow!” as she was grabbed almost immediately after a first request to “back up.”

Several officers were seen in other footage grabbing her, with one spinning her around almost into a car before forcing her to the ground.

“Get on the f—ing ground,” one officer growled at her as she immediately said she was a reporter, according to video she recorded throughout.

“Help! I’m with KPCC!” she said while continually crying out in pain — and repeating her NPR employer’s name five more times.

Her phone was knocked out of her hand while still recording, she said — and an officer was filmed seemingly deliberately stepping on it and crunching it under his shoe before another kicked it.

“You guys are hurting me,” she repeatedly sobbed.

Huang said she spent five hours in custody and was charged with obstructing a peace officer.

The sheriffs’ department confirmed that “an active investigation is underway” and it was aware of the footage, which seemed to contradict the department’s own statement about the arrest hours earlier.

LA County Sheriffs claimed on Twitter that Huang “ran towards the deputies” — although her own footage suggests she was walking slowly and was mostly ignored up until her arrest.

The department also said she “ignored repeated commands to stay back,” although she appeared to have been grabbed within seconds of the first request to “back up.”

“There was nowhere to back up,” she wrote alongside the clip, recalling getting “shoved around” within seconds.

The Sheriffs’ department also claimed she “did not identify herself as press,” but she could be heard saying “I’m a reporter” as soon as she was grabbed, and repeatedly naming the local NPR station she works for. The footage also appears to show an ID badge hanging around her neck.

“These are challenging and stressful times for everyone, but Josie Huang was arrested while doing her job. The charges should be dropped,” KPCC said in a statement on LAist.

“Her arrest is the latest in a series of troubling interactions between our reporters and some local law enforcement officers. Journalists provide an essential service, providing fair, accurate and timely journalism and without them, our democracy is at risk.”