'Black Lives Matter' Activist DeRay McKesson Arrested, Released In Baton Rouge
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Black Lives Matter activist and former Baltimore mayoral candidate DeRay McKesson was arrested Saturday night.
It happened during a protest in Baton Rouge. The entire ordeal unfolded on social media.
Amy Yensi reports he has been released after making bail.
McKesson was live-streaming the protest, saying the officers were being confrontational and provoking the crowd. That's when he was arrested.
McKesson was live on Periscope when he captured his own arrest. The prominent Black Lives Matter activist---who was recently named Chief of Human Capital Officer for Baltimore's public school's system---was handcuffed during a protest in Baton Rouge. That's where Alton Sterling was shot and killed by police last week, one of two deadly police-involved shootings of black men caught on cell phone video, sparking outrage and protests nationwide.
"I remain deeply disappointed in the Baton Rouge police department and I remain hopeful the Department of Justice intervenes both in the death of Alton and with the way they treat protesters," he said.
McKesson rose to national fame by leading marches in Ferguson.
The Baltimore native has been vocal about police brutality in communities of color. His activist credentials did not equal political success here in Baltimore, where he finished sixth in the Democratic primary for mayor in 2016.
"I'm an activist, an educator, a brother, a son and a citizen of Baltimore, someone who knows that this city is a city of promise," one of his ads said.
McKesson was scheduled to appear on Face the Nation, where Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings addressed black youth in the light of flaring tensions with police.
"A lot of people don't understand what it's like for African-American men and boys to know that at any moment, you're going to be pulled over and that your life could end," Cummings said.
In a statement to our media partner, the Baltimore Sun, City Schools CEO Sonja Santelises said she's "still waiting to hear what exactly happened but DeRay is a private citizen and was on his own time."
This arrest adds to the tension following the police-involved shootings and the ambush of officers in Dallas. In Baltimore, there's a vigil planned for the Dallas officers and for peace.
McKesson was charged with obstruction of justice, which is a misdemeanor. He was one of 102 people arrested Saturday during a protest held outside Baton Rouge police headquarters.