The Colorado Independent: A pair of Denver officers taught me a few things in the summer of 2018.

#1: That a woman ought to “Act like a lady” when unlawfully being handcuffed for photographing police. And #2: That despite being paid to enforce our laws, some officers have no clue what those laws – especially that First Amendment one – mean. 

Two years later, I fear the rank and file of Denver’s Police Department are no more informed about the public’s, including journalists’, First Amendment rights or, even worse, that their bosses in Mayor Michael Hancock’s administration are not committed to making sure they honor them. 

Over the weekend, Denver police targeted, harassed and even injured journalists along with the protesters they were covering. Several reporters, photographers and TV news producers have welts from being hit by police pepper balls and other crowd-control ammo.On Sunday night, as one example, Denver Post reporter Alex Burness was walking with Denverite/Colorado Public Radio reporter Esteban Hernandez while covering a demonstration downtown. Burness noticed an officer eyeing them and both called out “PRESS” to let him know they were allowed to be there. Hernandez also was wearing a neon vest with the word “Press” written across it. Nevertheless, Burness and Hernandez say, the officer responded by pointing his weapon at them.

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