The Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva @LASDHQ lied about my @KPCC @LAist colleague @josie_huang on @KTLA this morning:
- Villanueva claims she refused deputy orders. Not true. Video evidence contradicts this. She’s backing up and is tackled immediately.
(THREAD)
- He says deputies "were not aware she was a working reporter." Josie yelled "I'm a reporter" & wore her KPCC station ID
(Sheriff's Dept. cannot require their specific credentials to report in public places. Police don't bestow the right to journalism, the 1st Amendment does)
- Villanueva continues to falsely claim Josie “runs up to deputies” which is clearly not true, shown on video evidence from her phone
- Let’s talk about video evidence! Two deputies were also caught stomping on and trying to crush her phone *as it recorded* to destroy evidence
- Villanueva makes another bizarre accusation: "We have a problem...particularly these protests. We have fake press credentials...they stencil the word PRESS on their helmet."
Does he mean freelancers? Reporters for small outlets that he doesn't deem "working press"? No telling
- A twofer: Villanueva impugns Josie’s professionalism while accusing her of something contradicted on video:
“I know no good reporter is going to get right up on the shoulder of a deputy trying to arrest somebody. That's inappropriate. That’s going from journalism to activism”
This makes me sick.
I'm the granddaughter of a sheriff's deputy shot & killed in the line of duty. I know the pain caused by Sat.'s senseless attack.
But this Sheriff is lying about my colleague & intimidating other reporters from fulfilling our constitutionally-protected job
When we let a law enforcement agency do this to the watchdogs, who is left to protect everyone else?
After his PIO team put out lies on social media, the Sheriff is continuing a systematic misinformation campaign about Josie and what happened Saturday night
This has to stop.
Thank you to @mridleythomas for calling for an investigation.
Others, please: Watch and listen to what happened to Josie. It's on tape.
Don't dismiss what you're seeing with your own eyes. Every day, truth and accountability are being subverted
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