An editor with an online media outlet says Edmonton police have arrested one of his reporters as they broke up a homeless encampment in the city. Police inspect a homeless encampment as residents and supporters have a stand off as police prepare to clear homeless encampments in Edmonton, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson.
Edmonton police say they have arrested one man and two women for obstructing officers as they dismantled a homeless encampment in the city on Wednesday.
One of those arrested was a reporter covering the ongoing issue.
Ethan Cox of Ricochet Media says the reporter, Brandi Morin, told him from police custody that she was on the scene during the police action.
Cox says she was arrested after she refused to leave an exclusion zone that police had set up with yellow tape, saying as a journalist she needed to be able to see what was going on.
Police says charges against the three people arrested are pending.
The camp was the eighth and final camp deemed by the city to be “high risk” to be taken down.
Police have detailed the health and safety dangers of homeless camps in Alberta’s capital.
Edmonton police Deputy Chief Warren Driechel said Tuesday officers had taken down 120 structures affecting at least 100 people and removed around 2,000 needles, dozens of weapons and 50,000 kilograms of waste.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 10, 2024.
