Miami TV Reporter Arrested for Entering School Property With Gun

[NineseveN]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,304636,00.html

A television reporter investigating a story on school violence was arrested after carrying a loaded gun onto school property, authorities said.

Jeffrey Weinsier of WPLG-TV, an ABC network, was taken into custody Tuesday at Miami Central High School after ignoring several warnings not to walk on school property, Miami-Dade schools police said.

"Kindly go across the street now," an officer is shown telling Weinsier during the videotaped encounter.

"I'm not," Weinsier replied. The officer then handcuffed him.

Weinsier, 40, was charged with possession of a firearm on school grounds, trespassing on school property with a weapon and resisting officers without violence.

The photographer working with Weinsier, Frank Debesa, said afterward: "Jeff did have a gun on him."

Weinsier began carrying a gun after he received death threats stemming from a series he did about unsanitary conditions at restaurants, according to the station.

"At this point, Channel 10 is still reviewing the circumstances surrounding today's arrest," said Dave Boylan, the station's vice president and general manager.

Weinsier has a concealed weapons permit, but state law prohibits anyone from being armed at schools, police Detective Ed Torrens said.

Weinsier was released from jail on $11,000 bond.

"I've been advised not to say anything," he told Channel 10 afterward. "The videotape speaks for itself. ... I was not trespassing."

A telephone message left on his work voice mail by The Associated Press was not immediately returned.

[brewguy]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,304636,00.html

After they ask him to leave he is trespassing right?

[NineseveN]

After they ask him to leave he is trespassing right?

Only if it is truly their property. But yes, in a broad stroke, it is.

[Pa. Patriot]

After they ask him to leave he is trespassing right?

Well, I don't know. Primary education facilities are not private property, and an LEO is not the owner or agent of the owner unless they specifically asked him to be. IE: "please tell that person to leave, officer".

[Hokkmike]

I undertand that they did not find the weapon until after the arrest.

He got better than I would. As a teacher with a CCW I would receive NO warning or second chance, be fined, and lose my job. This would be true even if the weapon was found locked in a case locked in the trunk of my car parked on school property.

[Pa. Patriot]

The article makes no sense.

Why was he asked to leave? By who? (other than the cop)

[KeithPA]

From what I've read he was actually on the sidewalk. The other asked him to go to the other side walk on the other side of the street and he refused.

I'm also curious why he wasn't allowed on school property for a news story.

I'm pretty sure FL has no-carry on school areas.

[billamj]

Well, I don't know. Primary education facilities are not private property, and an LEO is not the owner or agent of the owner unless they specifically asked him to be. IE: "please tell that person to leave, officer".

I would think that by definition anyone working with the title of "schools police" would be construed to be an agent of the owner. The one that I really don't agree with is the resisting charge. Saying "no, I won't move." is resisting now?

[knight0334]

He was definitely trespassing. The officer was acting in behalf of the school, the reporter's failure to comply made it criminal trespassing.

FL's trespass law is very similar to ours in PA, except FL's goes a step farther to include some signs, fences and structures to serve as first warning - thus making any trespass as criminal(high misdemeanor and felony).

Examples:

1a. Walk into any yard, land owner asks you to leave, you fail to = summary trespassing
1b. landowner asks you to leave in front of LEO, or has LEO to ask you to leave, or LEO has primary duty to secure properties, you fail to leave = misd to felony trespass

2a. property has 6ft high wall or fence, you jump over = misd-to-felony trespass
2b. property has signs of certain criteria posted so high at so many feet between, you enter property = misd-to-felony trespass.

The school's property can and could have extended to the center of the road, with only a high-way right-of-way permitting a roadbed.

[Zef_66]

Was he asked to leave the property because he had a firearm?

Or was he asked to leave for some other reason and they found the firearm later?

Again, too many questions on a vague story.