Police File More Charges Against Reporter Arrested At Accident Scene

Photographer Carter Rabil was arrested April 26 by Smithfield Police Lt. Ryan Sheppard (left) and Captain Bruce Gentry (right) at an accident scene on US70. Police filed more charges against Rabil on Tuesday. Officers said he was interfering with the crime scene when he shot his photos (picture below), outside crime scene tape.

More charges have been filed against a reporter arrested at the scene of a fatal accident on Highway 70 in Smithfield last Thursday. Mitchell Carter Rabil, an independent photographer, was arrested at the scene for disorderly conduct and resisting a police officer. The charges were filed by Lt. Ryan Sheppard, although witnesses said the incident involved another officer, Captain Bruce Gentry. On Tuesday, Rabil was charged with a second count of resisting a police officer. Those charges were issued by Captain Gentry. Rabil was taking video of the accident scene when an alleged confrontation ensued with Captain Gentry. During the arrest by the two officers, police threatened to use their taser gun on Rabil unless he dropped his camera equipment. Police Lt. Keith Powell said the latest charges stem from the same incident, just from another officer. “He refused to back out of a crime scene,” Powell said. This is not the first time Rabil has been accused by police of being too close to a crime scene, but when Rabil was arrested he was clearly outside the boundary of the crime scene tape. Complaints have also been filed against Captain Gentry in the past by the media. Rabil is free on a