Caption:
Protestor Ieshia Evans is detained by law enforcement near the headquarters of the Baton Rouge Police Department in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. July 9, 2016.
Story behind:
I was on assignment for Reuters in Baton Rouge to cover the protests over the fatal police shooting of Alton Sterling. Moments before I captured this image of Ieshia Evans I had my back turned photographing face to face confrontations between the police and the demonstrators.
I heard someone behind me say something like “don’t stand there, they are arresting people in the street.” I turned and looked over my right shoulder and saw this woman standing in the road. I knew right away what was about to happen. The police were going to arrest her. I quickly moved and took the shot.
Whatever the photographic merits of the image may be, I am most proud that it sparked an international conversation about police brutality and race relations in America. I believe that when there is conversation, no matter what side you are on, progress is being made and we begin to better understand one another. And to me, the ability to stimulate dialogue is one of the hallmarks of great photography.
