News photographers jailed at Reno riot

Scott Sonner

Monday, Aug. 10, 1998 | 10:25 a.m.

RENO, Nev. - Two newspaper photographers jailed during a riot at a classic car rally said Monday police roughed them up, smashed a camera and took their film after they shot pictures of officers beating suspects.

Reno Police Chief Jerry Hoover said he encouraged the photographers from the Reno Gazette-Journal to file a formal complaint with his internal affairs unit.

A lawyer for the newspaper said Monday he was gathering evidence for a possible complaint or civil lawsuit, including home video shot by visitors who may have witnessed the arrests.

"I was thrown to the ground. It is something I will remember forever," said Mark Studyvin, who has worked two years as a photographer for the Gazette-Journal.

"There were officers standing on both of my legs," he said in an article the newspaper published on Monday.

Steve Keegan, an intern for the newspaper, said an officer shouted, "What the hell are you taking pictures of?" when he was photographing police beating and throwing suspects to the ground.

"He picked me up and threw me against a car. He was holding me by the throat and said, 'Give me your camera,"' Keegan said.

The officer smashed the camera on the ground, destroying all Keegan's equipment, including a $700 lens, he said. He said the officer refused to identify himself.

The two photographers were arrested during the downtown melee Saturday night that involved an estimated 1,000 people and more than 100 police officers at the annual Hot August Nights event. About 130 people were arrested.

Hoover, the police chief, said Monday he was reviewing all of the arrests, as is typical in such a case. He said he "suggested very strongly" to newspaper officials "that you bring those allegations over here in the form of an internal affairs complaint and we'll investigate it."

The photographers spent Saturday night in jail. Studyvin was charged with obstruction of justice and resisting arrest. Keegan was charged with perimeter violation.

Jim Hardesty, a lawyer for the newspaper, said the photojournalists "were engaged in news gathering and were not in any way - based on their statements - participating in the Hot August Nights function or the riot."

"We haven't filed a complaint - yet," Hardesty told The Associated Press on Monday.

"We are currently investigating the facts surrounding both arrests. ... We have received phone calls from a number of visitors offering home video and we want to look at those as well," he said.

The first step is to defend the photographers against the criminal charges, which they deny, Hardesty said.

In addition to requesting a formal investigation, the filing of a civil lawsuit against the police "is always a possibility," he said.

Officers donned riot gear and used dogs and pepper spray to subdue the throngs of people.

Keegan said he was kneeling to focus on the face of a man who was being pummeled by police when an officer hit Keegan on the back of the head.

"They didn't want us photographing people they were getting on top of because it might make them look bad," Keegan said. "Here people are throwing bottles at police, and they arrest us for taking pictures."

Studyvin said he was grabbed from behind after taking photos of a man police were throwing into a garbage can.

"I was walking away when they grabbed me," he said. "I can still feel my elbow chip, my shoulder grind and my knees dig into the pavement."

Studyvin said he was trying to stay close to police during the riot.

"It just seemed like that would be the safest place to be," he said. "But then they started sandwiching people who didn't know which way to go."

Hoover said he could not comment on any specifics of the incident. He said it is department policy for news reporters and photographers to have open access to cover news.

"I am not anti-media," Hoover told AP.

"If an officer runs over and removes a photographer just because he's taking pictures, that is wrong. ... If officers don't like them taking pictures, those officers are going to have to learn that they have a right to do that," he said.

"The only time we would have problems with the media is if they come up on an officer and they want to get in real close. I've seen them get in four or five feet or closer - I've seen them go right over an officer's back. Those are situations where we cannot tolerate that."

Hardesty responded Monday, "That didn't happen in this case."