Over the weekend, Wall Street Journal reporter Tyler Blint-Welsh tweeted about being hit in the face "multiple times with riot shields" by the NYPD during protests spurred by the murder of George Floyd. Now, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office has confirmed its investigation into the assault.
While a spokesperson for the DA's office confirmed the investigation into the latest act of police leveraging violence against journalists in a statement to CNN on Tuesday, a more generalized statement shared on Monday said the office would continue working to "identify investigative leads" into any claims of excessive force.
"Black lives matter and the use of excessive force by police in this country must end," Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. said. "These aims are not only achievable; they are fundamental to a fair and just society, and we commend the thousands of our fellow New Yorkers who have peacefully assembled to demand this achievable reality now."
Aggressions toward protesters and journalists have escalated amid the nationwide demonstrations that started following the murder of George Floyd. A CNN reporter, as reported last week, was live on the air in Minneapolis when he was arrested despite clearly being a member of the press.
These attacks on journalists and everyday citizens, of course, are emboldened by constant comments promoting outright militarization by the so-called POTUS, i.e. Donald "it's a bible" Trump.
