NewsNation Reporter Breaks Silence After ‘Traumatic’ Arrest at Ohio Governor’s Presser as Police Drop Charges

NewsNation correspondent Evan Lambert, who was forced out of a press conference, brought to the ground by police, and arrested last week, issued a public statement Wednesday on the incident he called “traumatic,” as police dropped all charges against him.

The incident occurred as Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) was addressing the press about the recent trail derailment outside of East Palestine. Lambert was doing a live shot from inside the gymnasium where the presser was happening when authorities demanded he end his broadcast.

After an exchange resulting from him being taken off air, Lambert was taken out of the gym and forced to the ground by police. Police later said in a statement that the “situation evolved into a physical confrontation and required law enforcement intervention,” although video of the incident appeared to record no such confrontation.

“It is by design that reporters aren’t meant to become the story. In my case, I truly did not choose this, and anyone who knows me will attest to the fact that I do not want nor relish in any of this extra attention,” Lambert wrote in a statement released online, adding:

To all who have shared the video of the harassment, then excessive force, then unjust and illegal arrest, I thank you.

Every retweet, like, follow, DM or text in support of me and our foundational First Amendment freedoms has filled my heart more than you can ever know. I read as many as I was able.

I’m still processing what was a traumatic event for me, in the context of a time where we are hyper aware of how frequently some police interactions with people of color can end in much worse circumstances. That is not lost on me.

“At the same time, as a journalist who has spent more than a decade covering crime, courts and more recently federal law enforcement, I have great respect for the officers who do their jobs each day with integrity, civil rights, justice and safety at the core of their mission,” he continued.

“I am grateful to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Attorney General Dave Yost, the management and legal team at NewsNation and Nexstar Media Group, and anyone else who worked to secure my release and the eventual dismissal of my charges, which to be clear, should never have been filed in the first place,” Lambert added. DeWine, notably, was quick to declare Lambert’s arrest was “wrong” and insisted he had “every right” to cover the presser as he saw fit.

“I am doing alright. And I will be OK. I will also continue to do my job without fear or favor in service of the public. I also hope what happened to me shines further attention on the people of East Palestine, who rightly have questions about their safety in light of an environmental hazard,” Lambert concluded, noting the ongoing tragedy unfolding in East Palestine due to the toxic chemicals released in the area.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost released a statement on Wednesday, saying, “My office has reviewed the relevant video and documentary evidence, and is dismissing the charges against Evan Lambert.”

Yost also rebutted the police statement, which insisted Lambert was being disruptive and that a physical confrontation had ensued:

While journalists could conceivably be subject to criminal charges for trespassing in some situations, this incident is not one of them. 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

Yost’s review included looking at bodycam footage of the arrest, which was also released to the public.

Lambert will be on Dan Abrams Live tonight to speak about the arrest.