It shouldn’t be surprising that Kyle Evens, a photo editor of the Star Press of Central Indiana, was cleared of charges after he was arrested earlier this month trying to photograph an accident scene.
Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputy Scott Brand accused Kyle Evens of ignoring requests to step back from the crash and “walking around and disturbing evidence.”
Evens was jailed on a preliminary charge of resisting law enforcement, a class A misdemeanor.
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Delaware County Prosecutor Mark McKinney has since notified the newspaper that his office would not seek formal charges against Evens.
But it should be alarming that so many people believed he deserved to be arrested, judging by the readers’ comments on the initial article.
From a reader named FBD183:
The press has been running rampant all over the country,,,,The officers should be commended for doing their job,preserving evidence,securing the accident scene,conducting the investigation. Where does this reporter get the idea that he has a right to be there??? When given an order he must comply,,,whether he agrees with it or not,,he is no different than any member of the public.
He should also be prosecuted.
From a reader named jesluty:
Hey get out of the friggan way. take a photo of the scene with your telescopic lense. What did you want to see the guts hanging out. Please show some respect for the victims. Hey throw lil Nick in the hole too. He needs a real story to write about. Maybe something like -Write becomes prison wife– now that is a story
From tigerchik:
I am sure the police and fire were doing the best they could to HELP the victims, if the SP reporter was asked to get out of the way he should have and if he didnt then he deserves to go to jail. If it were me I dont think I would want me care disrupted by newspaper reporters!
And even after it was reported that Evens had been cleared of all charges, readers still believed he was still in the wrong.
From jblondie:
If he was told to not disturb evidence he should have stepped back like he was asked, he can do his job from farther away with the cameras they have now. And I agree, if your relative was hurt in an accident you’d be less likely to say let the photographer do his job and disturb possible evidence.
From MuncyMan:
I don’t see why the headline says he was cleared… Being tried by a jury and found not guilty would be cleared. All this means is the prosecutor chickened out and decided not file the charges.
