Florida newspaper plans to sue city after arrest of reporter



All David Dorsey wanted was an interview with Deion Sanders.

The Fort Myers News-Press sports reporter had already interviewed the former NFL star and Fort Myers native on previous occasions about his youth football team.

But when he tried to access the field after a game in Naples to interview Sanders, who was standing at midfield talking with other reporters, Naples police denied him access.

Apparently they were taking cues from a member of Sanders’ staff who told cops he didn’t recognize Dorsey.

Sanders, known as Prime Time and Neon Deion throughout his career, has never been media shy.

Dorsey, who did hot have a press pass (and is not legally required to have one), provided the cops with his drivers license.

But officers Bijan Razilou and Benjamin Vasquez didn’t believe him.

In fact, they believed he intended to hurt Sanders because one of the officers wrote in his report that he “feared for the safety of Mr. Sanders based upon my previous contact with Mr. Dorsey and the numerous lawful commands I gave him to stay away.”

Dorsey persisted on entering the field and was finally handcuffed and carted away. On what charges I have no clue because it all took place in a public park.

It wasn’t until Sanders’ mother told the cops that Dorsey was legit that they released him.

Now the News-Press has filed a letter of intent to sue the City of Naples.

The News-Press Executive Editor Terry Eberle said Dorsey was just doing his job.

“It’s outrageous that the Naples police officers thought they should take orders from a citizen and to treat another citizen in such a brutish manner,” Eberle said. “He had every right to be on the sidelines. That’s his First Amendment right, not to mention it’s a public park, paid for with taxpayer dollars.”



All David Dorsey wanted was an interview with Deion Sanders.

The Fort Myers News-Press sports reporter had already interviewed the former NFL star and Fort Myers native on previous occasions about his youth football team.

But when he tried to access the field after a game in Naples to interview Sanders, who was standing at midfield talking with other reporters, Naples police denied him access.

Apparently they were taking cues from a member of Sanders’ staff who told cops he didn’t recognize Dorsey.

Sanders, known as Prime Time and Neon Deion throughout his career, has never been media shy.

Dorsey, who did hot have a press pass (and is not legally required to have one), provided the cops with his drivers license.

But officers Bijan Razilou and Benjamin Vasquez didn’t believe him.

In fact, they believed he intended to hurt Sanders because one of the officers wrote in his report that he “feared for the safety of Mr. Sanders based upon my previous contact with Mr. Dorsey and the numerous lawful commands I gave him to stay away.”

Dorsey persisted on entering the field and was finally handcuffed and carted away. On what charges I have no clue because it all took place in a public park.

It wasn’t until Sanders’ mother told the cops that Dorsey was legit that they released him.

Now the News-Press has filed a letter of intent to sue the City of Naples.

The News-Press Executive Editor Terry Eberle said Dorsey was just doing his job.

“It’s outrageous that the Naples police officers thought they should take orders from a citizen and to treat another citizen in such a brutish manner,” Eberle said. “He had every right to be on the sidelines. That’s his First Amendment right, not to mention it’s a public park, paid for with taxpayer dollars.”

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Carlos Miller
Carlos Millerhttps://pinacnews.com
Editor-in-Chief Carlos Miller spent a decade covering the cop beat for various newspapers in the Southwest before returning to his hometown Miami and launching Photography is Not a Crime aka PINAC News in 2007. He also published a book, The Citizen Journalist's Photography Handbook, which is available on Amazon.

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