COLUMBUS, Ohio — The charges against a cable news reporter who was arrested while covering a news conference on the train derailment in East Palestine have been dismissed.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced Wednesday NewsNation reporter Evan Lambert was no longer facing charges of resisting arrest and criminal trespass for the incident on Feb. 8.
Lambert was doing a live report as Gov. Mike DeWine was providing an update on the accident in an elementary school gymnasium.
Body-camera footage released by the Ohio State Highway Patrol showed Maj. Gen. John Harris Jr., commander of the state's national guard, talking with a camera operator before a state trooper motioned to stop the live shot. Police said Lambert was talking loudly while on the air from the back of the gym where DeWine was speaking at the same time.
Harris started to walk away before he turned around, confronted and pointed a finger at Lambert and then briefly pushed the reporter with one hand in the chest, the body-camera footage showed. Lambert was also pointing and talking to Harris. A state trooper then stepped in between the two and moved away the commander, the footage showed.
Harris later told police the reporter was coming at him in an aggressive manner and he felt threatened.
Authorities said that after the confrontation, Lambert was told to leave the news conference but refused several times. Officers then pulled him toward the exit and told him he was under arrest.
Body-camera footage showed Lambert pull away from two officers who then pushed him to the floor and handcuffed him. Lambert was held for about five hours before being released from jail.
DeWine said he did not authorize the arrest or even see the disagreement, adding that reporters have “every right” to report during briefings.
Yost said his Special Prosecutions Section was appointed by the Columbiana County Prosecuting Attorney to handle the charges filed in Columbiana County Municipal Court.
After reviewing video and evidence, Yost said his office is dropping the charges as unsupported by sufficient evidence.
“While journalists could conceivably be subject to criminal charges for trespassing in some situations, this incident is not one of them,” Yost said. “The reporter was lawfully present at a press conference called by the Governor of the state. His conduct was consistent with the purpose of the event and his role as a reporter.”