By: (AP) A St. Louis Post-Dispatch photographer was arrested while shooting pictures at a weekend accident scene because he was in the way of emergency workers, police said Monday.
Gabriel B. Tait, 32, was shooting pictures Saturday on Interstate 70 in Berkeley, near St. Louis, where a Ford Explorer had left the roadway and overturned. Tait said he was in an area with other observers when an officer told him to stop taking pictures and leave, the Post-Dispatch reported Sunday.
Tait said the officer grabbed his camera and pushed him against a vehicle, then handcuffed him and placed him under arrest. He was jailed for a couple of hours before being released on bond, police said. His camera equipment was confiscated and his car was towed.
Berkeley Capt. Frank McCall said Tait refused to get out of the way as paramedics and other emergency workers arrived.
"The intent was to try to clear that area so our fire department personnel would have room to work," McCall said.
Post-Dispatch spokesman Matt Davis declined comment, saying the company had not seen the police report.
McCall said Tait's camera was taken for safekeeping while he was jailed, and the car was towed because Tait was taken to jail in a squad car.
McCall said police "have no problem with any news agency that wants to take pictures because that's their job. But we do ask they show the common respect to know that you can't be right up on the scene."
Police will seek a municipal misdemeanor charge, but McCall declined to elaborate. A court clerk said Monday that charges had not been filed.
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