On the last night of the RNC, several members of the news media were arrested covering protestors blocking the Marion Street Bridge in St. Paul, including WCCO photographer Tom Aviles who was caught in the chaos when police ordered the crowd off the bridge.

Fortunately, Tom was released after an hour or so of sitting in handcuffs with several other members of the media. It was surreal to see them in that scene, knowing they were just trying to do their job under very chaotic and challenging circumstances. It came just two nights after photographer Dave Chaney and I were caught in the chaos of a clash between police and protestors sitting in the street in front of Mickey's Diner.

We both got temporarily blinded by a smoke grenade police used when the crowd that night taunted police and ignored repeated orders to disperse.

At rush hour Thursday, I was fully expecting to get another round of smoke grenades or shots of pepper spray when we were standing between the protestors and officers in the middle of the John Ireland Bridge, just below the Cathedral.

I was surprised and relieved when officers didn't deploy the smoke grenades there. It was not something I wanted to experience again, but I also wanted to be with Dave at all times as he videotaped the confrontation.

As we were covering the standoff, Dave's daughter called with some good news from school. As he briefly talked with Samantha, I thought how much I hoped he wouldn't get hurt in the crush of chaos if the officers started using force to clear the bridge and get home safely to see his family. 

I was also concerned because lots of folks were standing on the rail of the bridge and easily could have gone over it and onto the I-94 freeway in the chaos that follows explosions of smoke and flash bangs.  

In the midst of the chaos later that evening, word spread that I also was arrested in connection with Marion Street Bridge incident. It was not true, in fact, I was a couple blocks away when the blockade and arrests took place.

That story would be almost funny if it were not for the fact that it was passed on by officials who never checked out the information.

I have been receiving phone calls all morning from cops and some law enforcement officials who wanted to know how I was doing after a trip to jail. A bulletin even went out to top Minneapolis police officials saying I was on the list of people cited for unlawful behavior last night.

After Chief Tim Dolan learned that allegation was based on bad information from the St. Paul police department, he sent out an e-mail to let his folks know it was not true. 

Police get angry when the news media get things wrong and are quick to let me know. I wish I had received at least a call to confirm it or someone had taken minimal steps to check out the information before it was repeated to other law enforcement officials who spread it to officers.

Posted by: Caroline Lowe, reporter, WCCO-TV