IUSTV journalist Katrina Nickell was covering a stroy on Evolve, an apartment complex in Bloomington, on Sunday when she was forced to leave the premises. Nickell was invited by two tenants to shoot in and around their new apartment at Evolve.

After Nickell completed her interviews with the tenants and was shooting in common areas of the complex, she was approached by an Evolve worker. The worker asked Katrina what she was shooting, why and said she needed to leave. Nickell says she was as transparent and compliant with the workers as possible, but was still escorted off the premises by a security guard. The security guard received a phone call as he was walking her out that instructed him to tell Nickell to delete her footage.

The security guard made Nickell remain at the complex until her footage was deleted in front of him. IU professor and attorney Joseph Tomain, who is a first amendment expert, says “If an individual visiting a complex with the consent of one of the tenants then they would not be trespassing, they would have the right to be there with the tenants consent.” Tomain also says that journalists are under no obligation to delete footage nor be detained in this time of situation. If Nickell had refused to delete the video the situation could have amounted to false imprisonment.

Nickell was at Evolve to cover the condition of the unfinished apartments. The luxury complex has been under construction with tenants living in the building. There have also been complaints of mold and other problems in the building. Some students are still living in hotels because of the issues and others are living in the complex rent-free.