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Reporter Amy Goodman Faces Charges After Bringing The Public This Shocking Video Report [Watch]

By Dawn Papple
Published on: 05:30 PST, Sep 15, 2016

Reporter Amy Goodman is no coward. Goodman has traveled the world covering the news and fundraising for the independently produced news show Democracy Now!. Goodman is used to putting herself in danger while in service of a story. Goodman once was severely beaten while reporting on the massacre in East Timor. Goodman was arrested while covering protests at the Republican National Convention in 2008.

After that arrest, a mainstream news producer said of Goodman, “I don’t get it. Why wasn’t I arrested?”

Goodman explained that it was because, unlike so many journalists, she was on the streets covering the news where it was happening.

“I’m not being arrested here either,” Goodman said, according to the New York Times. “You’ve got to get out there.”

As the Inquisitr reported earlier, Goodman was “out there” again and is now facing criminal charges for trespassing.

Amy was reporting on the now well-known Dakota Access pipeline protest in Morton County, North Dakota. Many Americans were horrified when the pipeline protest turned violent. Reportedly, private guards had utilized guard dogs and pepper spray against indigenous Americans — U.S. citizens — as they protested the oil pipeline, citing risks to their clean water supply.

“Tribe spokesman Steve Sitting Bear said protesters reported that six people had been bitten by security dogs, including a young child. At least 30 people were pepper-sprayed, he said,” CBS News reported.

It also reported that Morton County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Donnell Preskey said law enforcement authorities had no reports of protesters being injured in the protest. Goodman’s now-viral video shows otherwise, and she claims that the video is the reason she is now facing charges.

Center for Constitutional Rights legal director Baher Azmy spoke out against the arrest warrant issued against Amy Goodman, Vogue reported.

“This is clearly a violation of the First Amendment… an attempt to repress this important political movement by silencing media coverage.”

The criminal complaint against Goodman from the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation says that the charges are based on a viewing of Democracy Now!’s video report of the protest. Special Agent Lindsey Wohl’s sworn affidavit even states that Goodman was in Morton County, North Dakota, as a journalist.

“Amy Goodman can be seen on the video identifying herself and interviewing protestors [sic] about their involvement in the protest.”

Despite her presence as a journalist, the criminal complaint was approved by Assistant State’s Attorney for Morton County Gabrielle J. Goter, Democracy Now! claims. Democracy Now! also claims that “none of the private security personnel shown in the video both assaulting protesters and commanding their dogs to attack them have been charged or arrested.” At one point in the video report, an incident shows a protester being violently shoved. Guard dogs are seen attacking horses ridden by protesters, as many scurry out of the way to avoid being bitten or trampled.

While interviewing a protester, Amy Goodman says on the video, “The dog has blood in its nose and its mouth.”

The camera shows a dog’s mouth visibly soiled with blood. The security dog appeared to still be in use, despite what would seemingly violate bloodborne pathogen exposure procedure asserted by OSHA.

“Universal precautions shall be observed to prevent contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials.”

Goodman is heard asking the guard, “Why are you letting their — her dog go after the protesters? It’s covered in blood!”

The federal government stepped in to temporarily halt the pipeline construction in the area, but construction on the vast majority of the 1,172-mile pipeline continues. The Native American-led protests against the Dakota Access pipeline was filmed on September 3. Incidentally, security used dogs and pepper spray on the indigenous people of the land on the anniversary of the day in 1863 when the army committed the Whitestone Massacre of 300 men, women, and children.

The Dakota and Lakota tribes have long lived in this territory. Their ancestors are buried there, but they were not consulted by the Army Corps of Engineers about grave sites or the waters before the demolition of the ground began.

“This demolition is devastating,” Standing Rock Sioux Chairman David Archambault II said in a statement. “These grounds are the resting places of our ancestors. The ancient cairns and stone prayer rings there cannot be replaced. In one day, our sacred land has been turned into hollow ground.”

Watch the video coverage of Amy Goodman’s reporting that led to the criminal trespassing charges against her, and then let us know if you think Goodman should face charges by commenting below.

[Featured Image by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images]

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