The Chicago Police Department is investigating allegations that an officer seized and damaged a Tribune photographer’s cameras Monday night at the scene of a police-involved shooting that turned into an unruly public demonstration, the paper reports. The Internal Affairs Division is investigating how Tribune staff photographer Terrence Antonio James’ two Canon cameras were severely damaged while he was covering the fatal shooting of Aaron Harrison, 18, in the North Lawndale neighborhood at about 10 p.m., police spokeswoman Monique Bond said.
While James was taking photographs of officers entering a building in the 2900 block of West Roosevelt Road, from which bottles had been thrown at police and their vehicles, one officer allegedly ordered him to leave the scene. Standing on the public way, James said, he continued to take pictures and told the officer he was a working member of the news media. At that point, the officer knocked one of his cameras to the pavement, destroying it, he said. The other was taken from him and thrown down the block, James said. Police later recovered the thrown camera about 30 feet away.
Link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-web_tribphotogaug08,1,3067705.story