Charges dismissed against NewsNation reporter after arrest in East Palestine

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Seven days after being arrested a press conference in East Palestine, the charges a national news reporter have been dismissed by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost.

“My office has reviewed the relevant video and documentary evidence, and is dismissing the charges against Evan Lambert as unsupported by sufficient evidence,” Yost said.

According to the police department, they say Lambert was doing a live report from the rear of the gym as the press conference was starting – which started over two hours later than scheduled.

Two Ohio State Highway Patrolmen, along with Adjunct General Major John Harris, walked over to tell Lambert and his videographer live on air to quit reporting from the rear of the gym, which was approximately 30 feet away from the press conference because he was “loud,” according to East Palestine Police.

Governor Mike DeWine said the arrest of Lambert should have never happened.

“That person had a right to be reporting. They should have been allowed to report,” he said. “If they were in any way hampered from reporting, that certainly is wrong and it’s not anything that I approve of. In fact, I vehemently disapprove of it.”

Lambert released the following statement after the charges against him were dismissed:

“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…,” he said. “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.”

Lambert is calling his arrest unjust. 

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