Marin Journalist’s Arrest Ignites Controversy: Reports

SAUSALITO, CA — The controversial arrest of a Marin freelance journalist last week has stoked concerns about press freedoms and possible police misconduct, according to published reports.

Jeremy Portje was at Marinship Park homeless encampment on the evening of Nov. 30 filming for a documentary when an altercation with police officers with whom he has a history precipitated his arrest, according to The Pacific Sun, the first publication to report his arrest.

Portje was arrested on suspicion of obstructing an executive officer (a felony), battery on a police officer with injury and battery on a police officer (both misdemeanors) and his gear was confiscated, The Marin Independent Journal reports.

Police Sgt. Thomas Georges, who was among three arresting officers, was injured during the altercation, according to multiple reports.

Social justice advocates who witnessed the arrest painted a disturbing picture of police behavior during the arrest, according to the IJ report.

Protesters plan to demonstrate in front of the Sausalito Police Department later this week in support of Portje, and an online petition is calling for the ouster of one of the officers involved in the arrest.

Saturday’s protest is scheduled for 11 a.m.

Portje currently serves on Novato’s Police Advisory and Review Board, The IJ reports.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Portje owns and runs Mental Media, in independent visual-storytelling company.

The circumstances surrounding the altercation are unclear, but Portje’s connection with the three arresting officers has his supporters questioning whether the arrest was retaliatory, The Sun reports.

Portje had made a public records request for body camera footage from the three officers in connection with the arrest of two homeless people arrested for camping in a downtown park earlier in the month, The Sun reports.

In a widely viewed video showing part of the arrest Portje is seen with his knees on the ground being restrained by two officers. He is heard asking the officers “What am I being charged with?” and onlookers are heard in the background chanting “let him go” and “don’t hurt him.”

“Why are they doing this? Because I asked them questions?” Portje is heard in the video asking the crowd rhetorically.

An eyewitness who identified themself as Luis told The Sun he saw an officer follow Portje, stand in front of the video journalist’s camera, and then an officer without provocation proceeded to grab Portje’s camera and inadvertently struck themself with it.

“The officer reacted to the camera hitting him,” Luis told The Sun. “He started punching Jeremy.”

The leader of a San Rafael-based group that promotes free speech expressed concerns that the police seizure of Portje’s gear may have violated California’s reporter’s shield law, The San Francisco Chronicle reported.

First Amendment Coalition Executive Director David Snyder told the news outlet that his group is investigating the case.

“Those materials are sacrosanct under California law,” Snyder said.

“When they’re seized pursuant to arrest, that’s really troubling.”

Sausalito Mayor Jill Hoffman appears to be backing the police department’s version of events, according to published reports.

Hoffman told The Marin Independent Journal that Portje was interfering with police activity and that he’d been issued a warning before his arrest.

“We have shown that we support and respect the right to free speech,” Hoffman told the news outlet.

“What is unacceptable is impeding a police investigation and injuring a member of our department.”