Journalist arrested while covering unrest at local park

NEWS MEDIA UPDATE   ·   FLORIDA   ·   Newsgathering   ·   May 18, 2005

Journalist arrested while covering unrest at local park

• No charges have been filed against reporter who was arrested for alleged obstruction as she covered several violent outbursts.

May 18, 2005  ·   A St. Petersburg Times reporter spent several hours in jail earlier this month after police arrested her for alleged obstruction while she covered several violent outbursts.

Pinellas County jailers released reporter Candace Rondeaux on $250 bail early May 9 after her arrest the night before as she covered disturbances at a St. Petersburg park. Police spokesman Bill Profitt said Rondeaux was arrested after she was told several times to get out of the street, the Times reported May 10. But Rondeaux maintained she was wearing press credentials and moved to the sidewalk when an officer told her to move.

As of early Wednesday, no charges had been filed, said Times Executive Editor Neil Brown.

“We’re kind of in cautiously optimistic limbo,” he said. “We have registered our concerns with the police and the state attorney personally.”

— KM

© 2005 The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press   ·   Return to: RCFP Home; News Page