ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- An Alaska online newspaper editor was arrested by security guards during a town-hall meeting for Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Joe Miller, witnesses said.
Tony Hopfinger was handcuffed by private security staff who said the journalist was intruding on a private event at an Anchorage school, the Anchorage Daily News reported.
Anchorage police responding to the call at the school told the security personnel to release Hopfinger, saying they would leave it to the District Attorney's office to decide whether to prosecute.
William Fulton, owner of the security firm hired by the Miller campaign, said the campaign had rented the space from the school and had the right to declare anyone in trespass. He said Hopfinger was "stalking" Miller and posed a security threat.
Hopfinger, holding a video camera, said he was trying to ask Miller for a statement on why he was disciplined when he was a part-time attorney for the Fairbanks North Star Borough. After the candidate walked away, Hopfinger said he was surrounded by Miller supporters and security guards and felt threatened, so he shoved one of them, the newspaper said.
Hopfinger said a security guard took his video camera and when it was returned, the clip of the arrest was missing, the Daily News reported. The guard said Hopfinger dropped it and denied deleting the segment.
No other reporters were arrested, and guards tried to block photographs and videos from being taken of Hopfinger's detention, the newspaper said.
Miller has said he wouldn't answer questions about his personal history or activities, including refusing to respond to allegations he was disciplined for using government computers for partisan political activity when he was a part-time borough attorney. The Alaska Dispatch, the Fairbanks News-Miner and the Anchorage Daily News are suing to get Miller's full personnel file.
