The arrest of Big Bend Times publisher and reporter David Flash at a Jeff Davis County Commissioners Court meeting on June 27, 2025, is now part of a national database tracking press freedom violations in the United States.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, a nonpartisan news site and open-source database maintained by the Freedom of the Press Foundation, catalogues incidents involving journalists who are arrested, assaulted, or otherwise impeded in their work. The Tracker documented Flash’s arrest, noting that the disorderly conduct charge against him was dropped in late July.
Flash said he arrived at the county building that day to pick up an audio recording of the meeting but found the proceedings delayed and still in progress. He remained to report, setting up a stationary video camera in the back of the room to livestream, as instructed by a sheriff’s deputy.
Video posted to the Big Bend Times’ Facebook page shows Flash sitting quietly, occasionally taking photos. After a brief exchange with Sheriff Victor Lopez, Deputy Adriana Ruiloba told Flash, “Don’t come in my personal space,” and ordered him to “back off.”
Flash left the room but returned to continue reporting. He said Ruiloba then grabbed him, pushed him toward a corner, and accused him of disrupting the meeting. The livestream captured him saying, “I’m not resisting” before the sound of handcuffs clicking. His camera was knocked over during the incident.
Body camera footage published by the Big Bend Sentinel shows officers detaining Flash at the request of County Judge Curtis Evans. He was questioned for about 30 minutes and released with a citation for disorderly conduct.
“I had complied with all instructions. I wasn’t saying a word, wasn’t bothering anyone, and wasn’t obstructing anything,” Flash said. “The only ‘trigger’ was that I turned my still camera toward a deputy who apparently didn’t believe she should be photographed doing her job in a public space.”
Flash sought medical treatment after the incident, saying he suffered visible injuries and lasting pain. The charge was later dismissed for insufficient evidence.
“His agenda is to be disruptive in court,” Evans told KWES-TV, citing court decorum rules. Evans and the Jeff Davis County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to emailed requests for comment.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker’s database is used by journalists, legal advocates, and press freedom organizations nationwide to monitor and respond to threats against the press.
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