Police Defend Arrest of NewsNation Correspondent Even After Governor Called it ‘Wrong’

The East Palestine, Ohio police department released a statement on Thursday defending the highly controversial arrest of NewsNation correspondent Evan Lambert who was forced out of a gymnasium and brought to the ground by police after an exchange resulting from him being taken off air while covering a press conference.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R), whose press conference Lambert was covering, condemned the arrest as “wrong” and insisted Lambert had “every right” to cover it.

“It has always been my practice that if I’m doing a press conference, if someone wants to report out there and they wanna be talking to the people back on channel or whatever, they have every right to do that,” the Republican said. “If someone was stopped from doing that or told they could not do that, that was wrong and it was nothing I authorized. And certainly, that would be something I would not want to see happen.”

“I’m certainly very, very sorry that happened. I don’t have all the facts, but he or she or whoever was arrested had every right to be there,” DeWine concluded.

J.C. Brown III, the chief of police in East Palestine, released a statement detailing his department’s justification for the arrest.

“Lambert-McMichael’s live reporting was loud, and two State Highway Patrol Troopers along with Adjutant Major General Harris from the National Guard went back and advised them to stop their live reporting in an effort to ensure that all members of the media were getting the necessary safety information, the statement reads, adding:

An argument then ensued between the general and Lambert-McMichael, which was now disrupting the press conference. The general informed officers that Lambert-McMichael was coming at him, in an aggressive manner, General Harris feeling threatened pushed Lambert-McMichael away.

Sheriff Brian Mclaughlin, Chief Deputy Jen Tucker, and Lt. Caleb Wycoff along with Det. Haueter then went back and advised Lambert-McMichael that he needed to leave the gymnasium because at that point in time the situation evolved into a physical confrontation and required law enforcement intervention.

Notably, video of the exchange between Lambert and law enforcement ahead of the arrest does not appear to show any “physical confrontation” and reporting on the incident notes Lambert asks officials confronting him “don’t touch me.”

“Lambert-McMichael advised the officers that he was not leaving and was again advised by all three officers to leave the gymnasium. In an effort to deescalate the situation, Lambert-McMichael was asked to step outside and talk with an Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper. Det. Haueter also asked Lambert-McMichael to step outside and talk yet Lambert-McMichael refused,” the statement continued.

“With all reasonable means to deescalate exhausted, Det. Haueter and Chief Deputy Tucker attempted to escort Lambert-McMichael from the building so the press conference and safety plan announcement could continue without delay,” the chief added, concluding:

Lambert-McMichael was advised he was being arrested, and while escorting Lambert-McMichael out, he attempted to pull away and was then placed under arrest for criminal trespassing at which time he resisted arrest. During the struggle, Lambert-McMichael was taken to the ground by Det. Haueter and Chief Deputy Tucker in an effort to maintain control of Lambert-McMichael while preventing injury to the involved parties.

While on the ground, Lambert-McMichael was not listening to the officers and was attempting to get up. Lambert-McMichael eventually complied with the officers, stopped resisting arrest and was transported to the county jail by the County Sheriff’s office.

Lambert was in East Palestine covering the derailment of a train that forced the evacuation of over 5,000 residents as toxic chemicals were aboard.