Mark Mulholland, a reporter from NewsChannel 13 and camera man Matt Soriano were threatened with arrest by a corrections lieutenant on Thursday, July 24, simply for having an empty prison inadvertently in the background of a report.
Mulholland was on the grounds working on a story about Grant’s Cottage, the site where President Ulysses S. Grant died, for the 129th anniversary of Grant’s death. The cottage happens to be on the grounds of the now closed prison, which had already been empty for three months.
With prisoners vacated, the only people on the grounds were a movie crew and corrections staff. Why the super secrecy?
In Mulholland’s report we see Lieutenant Dorne speed over to them in his vehicle like he was shot out of a cannon and proceed to attempt to intimidate the unshaken reporter.
The camera man and reporter defiantly go to make their way back to Grant’s cottage when they are blocked by another lieutenant. As they attempted to leave the area, state police pull them over and demand that they may not leave with any footage of the prison.
Mt McGregor prison from Rt 9 in Wilton. DOCCS won't allow pics of facility where there are 0 inmates, 76 employees. pic.twitter.com/y4dP8IXUPVhttp://www.dcclothesline.com/2014/08/03/nbc-news-crew-threatened-arrest-filming-national-park/
