CARSON CITY, Nevada — Prosecutors dismissed a case Tuesday against a veteran Reno Gazette-Journal photographer who was charged with obstructing a public officer while shooting photos of a wildfire.
Photo editor Tim Dunn was covering a brush fire last June in Sun Valley, just north of Reno, when he was detained for less than an hour.
The resulting case was dismissed after Dunn met the conditions of a deferred prosecution agreement, according to Washoe County Assistant District Attorney Cheryl Wilson, who was handling the case.
The Reno Gazette-Journal reported (http://on.rgj.com/11e7wpv) that those conditions were simply to not get in trouble for a six-month span.
"I have spent a lifetime working with law enforcement and respect the job they do," Dunn said in the Gazette-Journal report. "This event, however, was poorly handled. I hope it is something we can avoid in the future."
Dunn told The Associated Press at the time of the incident that officers accused him of trying to impersonate a firefighter because he was wearing protective gear at the scene of the four-alarm fire.
The newspaper posted pictures on its website shortly after the ordeal, showing scrapes to Dunn's cheek and hand.
Nevada Press Association Executive Director Barry Smith told the Reno newspaper the dismissal was a "sensible solution," but that it was unfortunate it took a year to resolve what could have taken seconds.
