Photojournalist Kristyna Wentz-Graff, her Journal Sentinel ID badge clearly visible, is handcuffed Wednesday while covering a protest. Credit: Lita Medinger

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Mayor Tom Barrett said Thursday that it appeared clear to him that the Journal Sentinel journalist handcuffed and taken into custody during a protest rally this week was a professional photographer doing her job.

Barrett, who watched television video of Wednesday's arrest of Kristyna Wentz-Graff, said not only was she obviously laden with equipment, but he also believes he saw her media credentials hanging around her neck.

"It appeared very clear to me that she was a photojournalist," Barrett said. "I very much support her First Amendment right to be there."

Wentz-Graff, as well as two University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee students, were arrested Wednesday during a protest march on N. Oakland Ave., near the UWM campus.

Police Chief Edward Flynn, during a news conference Thursday in his office at the Police Administration Building, defended the arrest, saying police did not know Wentz-Graff was a credentialed journalist until she arrived at police headquarters.

Flynn said officers had ordered protesters to get off N. Oakland Ave. Wentz-Graff, he said, "presented herself behind the officer. He perceived her as one of the group of protesters."

Flynn said Wentz-Graff's status as a journalist "was not obvious to the officers."

"She did have big fancy cameras," Flynn said. But Occupy Wall Street-style demonstrators across the country had cameras too.

"That by itself wasn't a bellwether," he said. "According to the officer at the scene, he didn't notice her ID. He was just focusing on the task at hand. He perceived her as part of the problem he had to solve."

Wentz-Graff is a three-time Wisconsin "Photographer of the Year." She and the two students were later released without being charged with a crime or receiving a ticket. The city attorney's office is reviewing whether to issue citations.

Journal Sentinel Editor Martin Kaiser defended Wentz-Graff, saying she was obviously a credentialed journalist and not a protester. She arrived at the protest, did her job and at no time disobeyed any commands by any officers, he said. Her identification was clearly visible.

Wentz-Graff was not present earlier in the protest when police broadcast a warning to protesters to leave the street. Police had blocked the street with their cars by the time they moved to make the first arrest and Wentz-Graff put herself in position to photograph it.

Wentz-Graff was never asked to step back or get out of the street. While she was taking pictures, she was grabbed by an officer, handcuffed and arrested, without warning or without being told why she was being arrested.

Wentz-Graff was later released without being charged with any crime and without being told why she had been arrested.

Of Wednesday's incident, Barrett said: "I certainly hope it was an aberration."

"Overall, we have seen peaceful protests where people have been exercising their First Amendment rights in an orderly fashion," he said.

Wentz-Graff is the second photojournalist to be arrested by Milwaukee police in the last two months. Clint Fillinger of WITI-TV (Channel 6) was arrested in September while covering a house fire.

Flynn said Thursday he would meet with representatives of the media to examine department policies that journalists say are keeping them from doing their jobs.

"I am going to be asking to meet with all the various news editors," Flynn said. "Let's have the conversation, let's examine the police policy, let's identify those circumstances in which the perception is we are not playing fair with the press and let's correct it."

Kaiser welcomed Flynn's offer.

"I would be more than willing to meet with the chief," Kaiser said. "I am happy to hear he wants to do that."