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American Morning

Amateur Photographer Arrested, Hospitalized

Aired July 12, 2002 - 08:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Topping our headlines check right now is a story we just talked about moments ago. The story of Mitchell Crooks, who was the photographer -- the amateur photographer who videotaped that police beating we've been watching for the last few days.

Now, he was hospitalized just hours after he was arrested and taken away from outside the CNN bureau in Los Angeles. Cricks -- Crooks, rather, who we said videotaped that police beating last Saturday was apparently wanted on charges unrelated to that incident. We were told that is the reason why he was arrested in the first place yesterday. Let's check in now with our Charles Feldman. He's been following the story for us since yesterday, and he's here now live with an update -- hello, Charles.

CHARLES FELDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Leon. What a bizarre story, and let me tell you, CNN has just learned that Mitchell Crooks is now out of that hospital, and has been transferred back to the men's central jail here in Los Angeles. He, of course, was arrested yesterday. His arrest being captured by a surveillance camera outside the CNN building here in Hollywood. Arrested, says the DA's office, on outstanding warrants from charges up in Northern California unrelated to his appearance before a grand jury on the videotape that he made. That grand jury appearance he was subpoenaed for, and he thumbed his nose at.

A CNN cameraman also recorded the sounds of Mitchell Crooks being led away by investigators from the DA's office, and you can hear him screaming for help.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITCHELL CROOKS, AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER: Help! Help! Help!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FELDMAN: Now, it's unclear whether Mitchell Crooks actually ended up testifying before the grand jury. He was brought to the grand jury from the Los Angeles headquarters of CNN here, but because it is illegal for the DA's office to discuss any grand jury testimony, we really don't know whether or not he said anything about the videotape he made of that African American youth being beaten by an Inglewood City police officer -- Leon. HARRIS: Charles, can you clear up one thing for us? We heard other reports this morning -- Frank Buckley was talking with Crooks' attorney, who said that Crooks was not served with a subpoena. What -- did we get that straightened out yet?

FELDMAN: Well, as far as we could tell, they didn't actually serve him with a subpoena. That's correct. Although he was on a radio program here in Los Angeles the other day, and one of the investigators from the DA's office called in to the show to discuss his appearance before the grand jury, so he knew about it. Whether that constitutes a legal serving of the subpoena, unclear.

HARRIS: Got you. Charles Feldman in Los Angeles, California, this morning. Thanks. We'll check back with you later on.

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