A newspaper reporter, caught in the middle of the clashes between police and protesters on the final day of the Republican National Convention, said he was mistreated by police. Seth Rowe was covering local officer involvement in the RNC for the Sun Newspapers. He said he was walking with an employee from ABC News, but with a crowd coming toward them, they decided to leave the area and asked an officer for direction. "Where do you want us to go? Where should we go? we're trying to get out of here," Rowe recalled asking officers.
A newspaper reporter, caught in the middle of the clashes between police and protesters on the final day of the Republican National Convention, said he was mistreated by police.
Seth Rowe was covering local officer involvement in the RNC for the Sun Newspapers. He said he was walking with an employee from ABC News, but with a crowd coming toward them, they decided to leave the area and asked an officer for direction.
"Where do you want us to go? Where should we go? we're trying to get out of here," Rowe recalled asking officers.
Rowe said they were directed to go south, on the Marion Street Bridge. He said as they crossed the bridge was empty. Once the reached a police line at the south end of the bridge, Rowe said the employee from ABC was allowed to pass.
"I start following, and the guy yells, get the (expletive) back and holds up this can of mace right in front of my face. So I obviously went back," said Rowe. He said he showed his press pass, but no one bothered to look at it until he was in jail.
Later cuffed and booked, Rowe said he was released at 3 a.m. when he and a small group were driven to an unfamiliar part of town and just dropped off.
"How do I get back to my car? and they didn't answer. They just got back into the paddy wagon, slammed the door and took off," said Rowe.
Charges against Rowe have been dropped. St. Paul Police told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that some people were in the wrong place at the wrong time, but that the courts did their job.
Rowe has filed the necessary paperwork, and said if there is a class action suit he may join in.
Reporter accuses police of mistreatment during RNC |