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Police are investigating after a person claiming to be affiliated with a national media outlet was suspected of trying to photograph jurors in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial Wednesday night.
Kenosha police said they took a man into custody briefly and issued him several "traffic related citations," but noted that "there was no breach of security regarding the jury, nor were there any photographs obtained."
Judge Bruce Schroeder addressed the incident in court Thursday, saying a man identifying himself as a producer with MSNBC was following a bus carrying jurors.
Schroeder said police stopped the man after he went through a red light while following the bus, which transports jurors to an undisclosed location during the trial. He was issued a ticket for violating a traffic control signal, Schroeder said.
A spokesperson for NBC News said in a statement that a freelancer was issued a traffic citation in Kenosha.
"While the traffic violation took place near the jury van, the freelancer never contacted or intended to contact the jurors during deliberations, and never photographed or intended to photograph them," the statement read. "We regret the incident and will fully cooperate with the authorities on any investigation.”
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Both police and the judge said the matter is under investigation, but MSNBC is no longer permitted in the courtroom during the trial, Schroeder ruled.
"This is a very serious matter and I don't know what the ultimate truth of it is, but absolutely, it would go without much thinking that someone who is following a jury bus - that is a very extremely serious matter and will be referred to the proper authorities for further action," Schroeder said in addressing the courtroom.
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