MSNBC primetime host Chris Hayes was called out by an NBC News reporter for characterizing an aggressively physical arrest of a New York City protester by undercover police as a “kidnapping” on Twitter Tuesday night.

A video from Tuesday showed a protester grabbed by several unidentified men, surrounded by NYPD bicycle cops, and thrown into an unmarked van as commotion ensued. The video, taken between E. 25th street and 2nd ave., instantly went viral. Several notable names shared the clip with their thoughts, including Hayes who wrote on Twitter, “This is…kidnapping.”

this is…kidnapping https://t.co/iT7SDb5RWx

— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) July 28, 2020

Thirty minutes after Hayes’ tweet, the NYPD posted a series of posts explaining the scene. Its Twitter account said the person in custody was “wanted for damaging police cameras during 5 separate criminal incidents in & around City Hall Park” and that unmarked vans are used to “effectively locate wanted suspects.” The police also claimed rocks and bottles had been thrown at the officers, although no such attacks were evident in the video.

At 10 p.m. EDT, Tom Winter, an NBC News investigative reporter focused on police and courts among other subjects, fired back at Hayes with a very public rebuke.

“It could also be undercover detectives from a warrant squad making an arrest with probable cause for someone wanted for 5 specific crimes wearing visible weapons and vests in a car immediately surrounded by uniformed police officers with NYPD written on the back,” Winter wrote.

It could also be undercover detectives from a warrant squad making an arrest with probable cause for someone wanted for 5 specific crimes wearing visible weapons and vests in a car immediately surrounded by uniformed police officers with NYPD written on the back. https://t.co/CsKt5QMSmZ

— Tom Winter (@Tom_Winter) July 29, 2020

Hayes responded a little over an hour later, with a notably more circumspect tone.

Maybe? Seems there are ways to make this arrest that are not this.

— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) July 29, 2020

from Mediaite https://ift.tt/2PnWZKd