Student Newspaper Photog Detained, Cuffed

Here's a really intriguing story. Can you figure out whether the student was in the wrong? whether the cops did the right thing? what the implications of this story for student journalism are? This is an excerpt--read the entire story by clicking here.

Lantern photographer cuffed, detained

By Byron Edgington

When two cows got loose last Wednesday, Lantern photographer Alex Kotran hustled to his room in Lincoln Tower. He had heard about the commotion, grabbed his professional camera gear and ran to the athletic fields next to Lincoln Tower.

Within two hours, Ohio State Police had caught the cows – and Kotran. He was detained, handcuffed and is facing a misdemeanor charge of criminal trespass.

As Kotran reached the athletic fields where the cows were being chased by police and OSU workers, a woman wearing a School of Agriculture shirt confronted him, he said. It was 2 p.m.

She told him that he was not allowed to take photos of attempts to corral the cattle. She tried to block him from taking photographs, he said.

Kotran explained that he was a photographer for The Lantern, that where he was standing was public property, and that if she wanted him to stop taking photos, she should summon police.

That’s exactly what she did.

Shortly, OSU Officer William Linton approached Kotran and told him that he could not take photos from where he was standing because it was dangerous. Kotran explained that he was a member of the media and that it was public property.

At the time, several officers and OSU workers were on the field chasing the cows. Kotran was nearly 100 yards away from the action.

Nonetheless, Linton ordered him to leave that location, and Kotran complied.

He moved to the other side of the field behind a chain-link fence and continued to shoot photos. It was 2:10 p.m.

At that location, a female RPAC employee and two male workers with grounds keeping also confronted Kotran and told him to stop taking photos.

One of the men grabbed his arm. He gave them the same explanation he gave Linton and continued to shoot photos.

Two of his shots from that location were on the front page of Thursday’s The Lantern.