By Pauline Repard / U-T San Diego / Jan. 19, 2012
San Diego police arrested a freelance news videographer last week after they said he interfered with officers while filming a rescue along the San Diego River.
Edward Baier of Point Loma, who sells breaking news and sports footage to television stations, was jailed Jan. 14 on six counts of interfering or resisting officers. His camera gear was impounded.
He posted bail, which was set at $30,000, and was released early the next morning.
Baier said Thursday he denies the allegations.
He said that on Saturday afternoon, he began taping firefighters performing CPR on a man who had been running from undercover police officers at Fashion Valley mall. He said he heard on his police scanner that the man, a shoplifting suspect, jumped into the river, became submerged and was rescued by a witness.
Baier said police told him to back away, and he did so, and then officers barricaded off the area with yellow tape.
Police Lt. Andra Brown said a police report on the 4 p.m. incident stated that Baier crossed crime scene tape, pushed officers and was in the street blocking traffic.
Mickey Osterreicher, a lawyer for the National Association for Professional Photographers, wrote a letter asking the Police Department to return Baier’s camera gear, which happened on Wednesday.
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Does such a professional have some kind of credentials for special access like the press?