The story I just posted about WFSB-TV reporter Leon Collins and cameraman Pat Driscoll being arrested at New Haven station has additional information.

Its starting to look like more of a matter of the actions of a specific MTA Police Officer.

According to the reporters, they parked in a parking space marked ‘visitors’ and did not see a small sign indicating they were off limits. They respectfully asked a rail yard worker for permission, and while he went to ask permission higher up, an MTA officer arrived and asked them to leave.

So far, no problem, as the reporters were complying - until the second MTA officer arrived.

When the second officer arrived, he called the reporters ’stupid’ among other derogatory remarks, and arrested both reporters while they were complying with the first officers request to leave by packing their truck.

This is in no way unusual for MTA employees handling photographers - one employee says ‘let me check’ one says ‘please leave’ - the other says ‘youre going to jail’ - there is absolutely no consistency from one employee to another. I wonder if MTA even has an employee handbook.

Reports of MTA spokesman Dan Brucker’s involvement are conflicting. Originally it was reported that Brucker was notified of their presence and he informed MTA staff to allow them to get what they needed. Now Brucker is reported as saying that he ‘would have’ allowed them to shoot what they were needed but were in a ‘dangerous area’.

If I were Dan Brucker I would be pissed at the MTA officer for escalating a situation which was seemingly well under control into a major MTA legal nightmare which has serious potential of being picked up by the ACLU. At the very least, there had better be a lot more to the story.

Once in the station, the reporters were handcuffed to a bench, and not allowed to notify their station of their whereabouts during the live new broadcast on which they were scheduled to appear! Station employees had left to frantically find out what had happened to the two.

On the plus side, the station plans to ‘absolutely’ fight all of the charges, and the reporter insists he will not in any way change the way he does his field reporting.