A peaceful human rights activist who participated in protests following Freddy Gray's death in Baltimore was "snatched" by police as live television news rolled.
Joseph Kent, 21, became the subject of widespread concern on social media. The Morgan State University student was located today by Guardian reporters: he was "in a large bullpen with other inmates on the second floor of Baltimore central booking."
Kent asked his attorney Patrick Beatty to let everyone know he was okay, and to relay the message that the protests should remain peaceful.
From the Guardian's exclusive:
According to Beatty, the 21-year-old was imploring others to remain peaceful and return home when he was "snatched" off the street.
"His description was very similar to what happened on television," Beatty said. "As the video shows, he was trying to get people to leave. He's sick of the violence. He didn't want to see any more of it. He was telling people to disperse."
Beatty said his client "wanted police to know he was harmless so he had his hands up the whole time".
"You'll see on the video he walked very slow so there was nothing aggressive about him. He didn't see the humvee coming, he didn't hear the humvee coming," Beatty said. "All he knew was that suddenly he was cut off from the cameras. Then he was grabbed by multiple people in riot gear."
"Baltimore activist 'kidnapped' on live TV is in jail despite having hands up 'the whole time'" [theguardian.com]
Joseph Kent was snatched off the street in Baltimore by police in full view of cameras. Photograph: Screen image via CNN
