WBRZ-TV Reporter Arrested, Accused of Interfering With an Investigation and Intimidating an Officer
A comment made by a WBRZ-TV reporter resulted in his arrest early Thursday morning after he was issued a criminal summons for interfering with a law enforcement investigation, a Baton Rouge police report says.
Brett Buffington, 27, of 11959 Nicholson Drive, was booked on counts of interfering with an officer and intimidating a public official.
According to the report, Buffington interfered with a burglary investigation at the 600 block of South Eugene Drive at about 2:30 a.m. Thursday when he disobeyed police requests to leave the area and took photos using a flash, which diverted the officers’ attention and put “their lives in danger.”
Police placed Buffington in the back of a police unit until the area was made safe, the report says. Buffington was then issued a criminal summons and told he was free to leave, to which he told an officer, “Hope you enjoy the rest of your career.”
More: WBRZ-TV Reporter Arrested, Accused of Interfering With an Investigation and Intimidating an Officer
So, pointing out the possibility of legal accountability is “intimidation of a public official?” Would you also be arrested for threatening to report to internal affairs? Get a lawyer? Tell the judge you’re not guilty? Vote against the sheriff? Publicize the event?
I don’t think a federal civil rights investigation is out of place here.