Two U.S. Park Police officers have been assigned to administrative duties after they attacked an Australian TV crew during a live broadcast near the White House on Monday.
“As is consistent with our established practices and procedures, two U.S. Park Police officers have been assigned to administrative duties, while an investigation takes place regarding the incident with the Australian Press,” the U.S. Park Police wrote on Twitter on Wednesday night.
The Hill reports: Video shows Network Seven cameraman Tim Myers was hit with a riot shield and punched in the face by a police officer during the protest. Another officer was also seen swinging a truncheon at the network’s reporter Amelia Brace, according to footage of the incident reported by ABC7-WJLA. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday called for an investigation into the incident, which took place as law enforcement forcibly removed protesters from Lafayette Square near the White House before President Trump walked through the area to the historic St. John’s Church where he took a photo with his staff.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, it was one of 125 press freedom violations during just three days of protests in the U.S.
Watch the attack from another angle below.
Police in Washington DC assaulted these Australian journalists (part of the violence unleashed so Trump could get his photo op) https://t.co/5AiM873cl1 pic.twitter.com/8WwUI3MGvg
— Andrew Stroehlein (@astroehlein) June 2, 2020
