Ohio Governor DeWine on reporter arrested at last week’s press conference

2/15/2023 UPDATE: Ohio Attorney General dismisses charges against NewsNation reporter

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (WOIO) - After a NewsNation reporter was arrested during last week’s news conference being held by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, he commented on the event at Tuesday’s news update.

“I have the same opinion I had the first day,” DeWine said. “I hoped the charges would be dropped. I think that would be the best thing.”

He goes on to say the reporter should not have been stopped, and initial contact never should have occured.

DeWine noted that the Attorney General would be the last call on this matter, however he encouraged, if they see fit, to avoid proceeding with any kind of prosecution.

“They have the right to deliver the news however they want to deliver the news,” he said, recalling a conversation he had with the attorney general and claiming he regrets the situation.

The governor was updating the public and media about the East Palestine train derailment when the reporter was arrested.

19 News reporter Sia Nyorkor caught the arrest on video.

Reporter Evan Lambert was doing a live report when he was told by law enforcement to be quiet during the Governor’s press conference.

Lambert was then escorted out of the gym, wrestled to the ground, and put into handcuffs.

Lambert is facing disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing charges, according to a NewsNation story.

NewsNation Senior National Correspondent Brian Entin announced at 10:18 p.m. that Lambert had been released from jail.

DeWine commented on the incident at the time:

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

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