Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost‘s Office will handle the case involving a TV journalist who the East Palestine Police Department arrested while he was documenting a railway wreck in East Palestine.
Columbiana County Prosecutor Vito Abruzzino confirmed on February 10th that Yost will be in charge of the investigation surrounding Evan Lambert’s arrest.
Lambert, a Washington DC-based correspondent with NewsNation, was thrown to the ground, handcuffed, and arrested for trespassing last week while covering Governor Mike DeWine‘s public press conference regarding the derailing of a train transporting hazardous materials.
According to a press release from Abruzzino, as more details about Lambert’s arrest and charges emerged, it became clear that numerous state agencies from Ohio, including the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Ohio National Guard, took part in this incident, in addition to local organizations in Columbiana County.
“Given the complex nature of the parties involved, and in coordination with local and state officials, the matter concerning the arrest of Mr. Evan Lambert-McMichael will be forwarded and handled by the Office of the Ohio Attorney General (OAG), Dave Yost,” Abruzzino said.
Abruzzino continued to say that the prosecutor’s office would work alongside Yost to expedite the review.
“We will work diligently with the OAG’s Office to ensure they have all necessary information, evidence, and materials required for a prompt review,” Abruzzino said.
During NewsNation’s “Rush Hour,” Lambert was providing a live report when law enforcement officials at the press conference reportedly warned him to keep quiet because DeWine was speaking.
The news conference in East Palestine had been postponed from its original time of 3:00 p.m. ET. Around 5 o’clock, DeWine finally started talking, just as Lambert was about to go live on NewsNation.
After completing the live report, the National Guard Adjutant General Major General John Harris and two highway patrolmen attempted to stop Lambert because he was “too loud,” according to a statement released by the East Palestine Police Department on February 8th. The highway patrol’s body camera film shows Harris pushing Lambert after what appears to be an altercation. Police claimed that Harris felt threatened, although the video does not capture the incident that led to the argument. Law enforcement then threw Lambert onto the ground and put him into handcuffs.
NewsNation shared a video of the event. Law enforcement released Lambert from the Columbiana County Jail after detaining him for five hours.
There is no audio in the video’s opening moments. “I am allowed to be here,” Lambert is heard saying as soon as the tape starts.
After police had taken Lambert into custody, DeWine said he did not personally order the arrest.
The governor said in a statement to news outlets that he didn’t see the incident, but emphasized that “he has always respected the media’s right to report live before, during, and after his press briefs, and the interruption to the reporter’s broadcast should not have taken place.”
NewsNation D.C. bureau chief Mike Viqueira said that Lambert’s arrest was a violation of his First Amendment rights.
“I was watching the press conference stream … and the only thing I heard that was disruptive was when this altercation with the police — which apparently they have instigated — was unfolding. I did not hear anything of Evan’s voice when he was quietly speaking on live television. … As his boss, as his colleague, as a fellow journalist, it’s really infuriating,” Viqueria said.
Criminal Defense Attorney Benarda Villalona said that Lambert’s charges should be dismissed and that he did not do anything wrong.
“A reasonable prosecutor should dismiss these charges in the interest of justice,” Villalona said.
Yost’s press secretary Steven Irwin told The Ohio Star that “The Columbiana County Prosecutor’s Office has referred the case to the Ohio Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Section.”
Lambert is now facing allegations of disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing, both of which are misdemeanors. He is due in court for an arraignment on February 23rd.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Dave Yost” by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. Background Photo “Downtown East Palestine” by 636Buster. CC BY-SA 4.0.
