US ambassador Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr. releases statement after Sunrise reporter and cameraman attacked by police live on air

The US Ambassador to Australia has issued a statement less than a day after American police knocked down a Channel 7 reporter.

The United States Ambassador to Australia has addressed the country in a statement less than a day after American police were caught knocking down a Channel 7 reporter and her crew at the centre of a protest in Washington DC.

Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr, who is also a lawyer, posted a statement on Twitter Tuesday evening that gave few details about the requested investigation into the incident but said “we take mistreatment of journalists seriously”.

“Freedom of the press is a right Australians and Americans hold dear,” he said.

“We take mistreatment of journalists seriously, as do all who take democracy seriously.”

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting journalists and guaranteeing equal justice under law for all”.

A statement from Ambassador Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr. pic.twitter.com/EW5aPaptjE

— US Embassy Canberra (@USAembassyinOZ) June 2, 2020

It came after footage of Sunrise reporter Amelia Brace and her cameraman being shoved and hit by police went viral in Australia and around the world.

Ms Brace was providing an update from the White House on the escalating chaos with her freelance cameraman, Timothy Myers ACS, ahead of President Donald Trump’s speech on Tuesday morning when heavily-armed police began aggressively pushing the crowd back.

Australia is investigating, the foreign minister said overnight, expressing “strong concerns” about the assault caught live on camera.

“We have asked the Australian embassy in Washington, DC to investigate this incident,” Marise Payne said.

“I want to get further advice on how we would go about registering Australia’s strong concerns with the responsible local authorities in Washington,” she said, indicating a formal complaint would follow.

Ms Brace and Myers tried to take cover behind a wall amid the stampede as they continued the cross, but were spotted by heavily-armed officers, who quickly shoved them both back and punched the cameraman.

The whole scene unfolded on live TV:

Watch the shocking moment #7NEWS reporter @AmeliaBrace and our cameraman were knocked over by a police officer LIVE on air after chaos erupted in Washington DC. pic.twitter.com/R8KJLnfxPN

— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) June 1, 2020

Police outside the WH just repeatedly bashed a cameraman as they pushed back protestors - just now on @ABC7News pic.twitter.com/XyE2sI6I3v

— Ben Siegel (@benyc) June 1, 2020

Ambassador Culvahouse serves as the President’s personal representative to the government and people of Australia. He was personally nominated by President Trump on 6 November 2018.

The incident is one of several involving media crews including arrests and violence despite them being clearly identified as journalists. CNN journalist Omar Jimenez made headlines around the world when he was arrested along with a producer and cameraman in Minneapolis while covering protests over George Floyd.

During the Sunrise incident, Ms Brace was struck by a police baton and cameraman Myers was hit by a riot shield.

“We were at some distance, expecting a crackdown at curfew time but their surge took everyone by surprise.

“Cameraman Tim Meyers and I are both okay. Pretty bruised, but okay,” she added.

The attack forced Prime Minister Scott Morrison to take action, demanding an investigation into the assault from the Australian Embassy in Washington, DC.

“It all happened so quickly,” Ms Brace told the 7 network today.

Australia’s Ambassador to the United States Arthur Sinodinos is yet to publicly comment on the matter.

PM DEMANDS INVESTIGATION

Seven’s director of news and public affairs Craig McPherson confirmed Prime Minister Morrison had contacted the Australian embassy in the US capital demanding an investigation.

“The attack on our reporter and cameraman in Washington is nothing short of wanton thuggery,” Mr McPherson said in a statement issued from Seven on Tuesday afternoon.

“They weren’t in anyone’s way just simply doing their job.

“To be belted with an armoured shield and then our reporter cop a truncheon in the back is abhorrent.

“The Prime Minister has informed us he’s been in touch with our embassy in Washington to have the matter urgently investigated. We are making our own complaints through the appropriate channels.”

In most cases media are allowed to cover the US protests even if curfews are in place. But Ms Brace said it appeared that was no longer the case and media were being barred from reporting on events overnight.

“The secret service outside our hotel is telling us we can’t leave the area.”

Earlier Tuesday Channel 7 labelled the incident by police in the US capital as “wanton thuggery”.

The Prime Minister has asked for an investigation into the attack on @7NewsAustralia reporter & cameraman in Washington DC. He’s contacted 7NEWS, describing the violence towards @AmeliaBrace & Tim Myers from police as “troubling” and asked for it to be followed up. @7NewsSydney pic.twitter.com/MREgxXtiWL

— Jason Morrison (@JasonMorrisonAU) June 2, 2020

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese said that “our ambassador should be making representation on behalf of these Australians, who effectively have been assaulted for doing their job.”

“In a democratic society, the role of the media is critical, and it’s important the media are able to report on events, including crises such as we’re seeing in the United States, free from harassment,” he said.

“The violence we’re seeing towards the media, with tear gas being fired, with media being assaulted, is completely unacceptable.”

"Our Ambassador should be certainly making representations on behalf of these Australians who effectively been assaulted...for doing their job" - Leader of the @AustralianLabor Party @AlboMP speaking after @Channel7 journalist & cameraman were hit. https://t.co/rCG56KbYRw #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/CUslYLfYes

— 7NEWS Sydney (@7NewsSydney) June 2, 2020

A short time after the incident occurred, Sunrise hosts David Koch and Samantha Armytage checked in on the pair, who were also recovering from a dose of tear gas and rubber bullets deployed by police into the crowd.

“We’re not too bad, it’s actually the tear gas that gets you,” Brace admitted.

“As I tried to continue speaking to you (during the earlier live cross), I could barely breathe and it’s really hard to continue speaking during that.

“I also got a rubber bullet to the backside, and Tim got one at the back of the neck – so we’ll have a few bruises tomorrow.”

Brace also expressed her gratitude to her colleague, who got “smashed” as he shielded her from police.

“I’m very grateful for him, he’s a very experienced cameraman and has worked in war zones, so I felt very comfortable with him leading me out there, and he did a wonderful job.”

The reporter added that they’d been left trapped with “no escape” as the crowds were suddenly pushed back ahead of Mr. Trump’s arrival.

“There’s really just no escape at that point. We had the National Guard behind us, and the police coming though, and there was nowhere for us to go,” Brace explained.

“We had no choice but to hide in a corner hoping that they (police) passed by, but as you can see from those pictures … They did not.”

Despite the shocking footage, Myers insisted he was “fine”.

“While this wasn’t meant to be a story – the police did have a job to do. They chose a heavy-handed tactic to get it done. The way the crowd was goading them prior to the incident, I am not surprised at their approach,” he told news.com.au.

“Though I am disgusted at the officer who swung his baton at the back of my colleague’s head after she had clearly identified herself as a journalist and while she was retreating.”

Confronting scenes played out prior to the incident, showing heavily-armed cops forcing the crowd back.

Brace and Myers’ Seven colleague Ashlee Mullaney – reporting from Minneapolis where the murder of unarmed black man George Floyd by an officer sparked the chaos a week ago – delivered a sombre summary of the situation a short time later.

“I have to just reference back to what Amelia has gone through,” she told Koch and Armytage during her update on Seven’s breakfast program.

“We are working media, lawfully doing a job, and how we have reached a point where that (situation with Brace and Myers) has happened is unbelievable – America is really in the thick of a crisis right now.”