There is no doubt that everyone was operating under a state of hyper alertness and suspicion on the Virginia Tech campus on Monday after the tragic events there. Given those events and the environment it's perhaps understandable that police arrested and held Shaozhuo Cui, photo editor for the Virginia Tech student newspaper, on the grounds that as a young man of Asian descent he was a "suspect matching the profile" of the shooter that had been described to police. Even Cui finds it understandable

"I can't blame authorities for any of their actions, and I certainly understand that they need to do what they feel is best in a dangerous situation."

What isn't understandable though is why the police, even after they cleared and released Cui, are still holding on to his equipment. His camera, camera bag, media cards and the images they contain and even his IDs are still being held, as of Tuesday April 17, by the police.

"But as a student journalist, I don't feel it's appropriate that authorities continue to hold my camera and my work without any further explanation."

Obviously deepest thoughts and sympathies go out to the entire Virginia Tech community. That being said this is a story worth following and paying attention to. The student photojournalist did nothing wrong and he deserves access to his equipment and his images. Even in the darkest times we can't ignore cases of journalists being silenced either through force, or in this case by keeping images away from the photographer who captured them.

via PhotoAttorney

Original Story: Student photographer detained during Virginia Tech crisis, equipment confiscated

Update: More details from the photographer at Collegiate Times