Gay D.C. Reporter Arrested in Ohio for Live Broadcast
Evan Lambert, a gay reporter from D.C., was arrested in Ohio after police tried to remove him for talking during a news conference held by Gov. Mike DeWine.
A gay television reporter from D.C. was arrested and charged with trespassing for conducting a live broadcast during a news conference being held by Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine about the derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals.
Evan Lambert, a correspondent for NewsNation, was reporting on the accident, in which 50 train cars — 10 of which were carrying hazardous materials — derailed in a fiery crash last Friday near East Palestine, Ohio.
Residents in the area, and in nearby parts of Pennsylvania, were ordered to evacuate after authorities decided on Monday to release and burn chemicals from five tankers containing vinyl chloride, sending hydrogen chloride and phosgene, a toxic gas, into the air.
DeWine had been scheduled to announce the lifting of the evacuation order, based on tests showing that air quality in the area was safe, at a news conference scheduled for 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at East Palestine Elementary School, but the event was not held until two hours later — at the exact same time that Lambert was scheduled to broadcast live from the school’s gymnasium.
Lambert began his live broadcast inside the gymnasium, near the doorway — and well away from the news conference — but was told by East Palestine police officers to stop broadcasting because the governor had begun speaking.
Lambert ended his live report abruptly, signing off the air, at which point the officers told him to leave the premises, according to CNN.
Preston Swigart, a photographer who was with Lambert, said that the officers ordered Lambert to stop talking during the governor’s remarks. But the fact that Lambert continued to speak, even just to sign off, appeared to anger the officers.
“From their standpoint, he didn’t obey orders when he was told to stop talking,” Swigart told NewsNation. “Gymnasiums are echoey and loud and sound kind of carries, so I’m guessing that they just didn’t like the fact that there was sound competing with the governor speaking, even though it was all the way at the other end of the room.”
After the cameras were turned off, several police officers surrounded Lambert and blocked him from walking further into the gymnasium.
Two officers grabbed Lambert and pushed him out of the gym, pushing him to the ground and handcuffing him. The confrontation was captured on cell phone video. In the video footage, Lambert can be heard identifying himself as a reporter.
Lambert was held in jail for about five hours before being released on bond, reports NewsNation. According to court records, he has been charged with criminal trespass and resisting arrest, and is scheduled to appear in Columbiana County Municipal Court for an arraignment on Feb. 23.
If convicted, he could face up to 30 days in jail and a fine of $250.
Mike Viquiera, the Washington Bureau chief for NewsNation, called Lambert’s arrest a violation of the First Amendment.
“As you see from the videos, he was doing his job — what hundreds of journalists do without incident — reporting to the public on a matter of urgent, critical interest to our audience,” Viqueira said.
DeWine was asked following the news conference about the arrest, which he said he did not authorize, adding that journalists have “every right” to carry out their duties.
“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.”
A follow-up statement from the governor’s office noted that DeWine did not see the arrest happen and could not comment on what led to Lambert’s arrest.
“Governor DeWine did not request that the reporter stop his live broadcast, nor did he know that the request was being made,” the statement said, adding that DeWine “has always respected the media’s right to report live before, during, and after his press briefings.”
“I’m doing fine right now. It’s been an extremely long day,” Lambert said in an interview following his release. “No journalist expects to be arrested when you’re doing your job, and I think that’s really important that that doesn’t happen in our country.”
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
