Criminal charges against a NewsNation reporter who was arrested while covering the toxic train derailment have been dropped, the Ohio Attorney General announced on Wednesday.
Evan Lambert was charged with criminal trespass and resisting arrest while trying to record a live broadcast from a Gov Mike DeWine press conference on 8 February.
Bodycam footage showed two highway patrol officers confront Mr Lambert for being too loud, and then push him to the ground.
In a statement, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said the charges were not supported by evidence.
“While journalists could conceivably be subject to criminal charges for trespassing in some situations, this incident is not one of them.”
He added that tensions had been running high after the 3 February derailment.
“Regardless of the intent, arresting a journalist reporting at a press conference is a serious matter,” he said.
“Ohio protects a free press under its constitution, and state officials should remember to exercise a heightened level of restraint in using arrest powers.”
In a message posted to Twitter, Mr Lambert said he had not wanted to “become the story” nor did he relish the extra attention from the arrest.
“I’m still processing what was a traumatic event for me, in the context of a time when we are hyper aware of how frequently some police interactions with people of colour can end in much worse circumstances,” he said.
He thanked Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Governor Mike DeWine, everyone who had supported him, and the NewsNation management and legal team.
“I am doing alright, and I will be OK,” he wrote
“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.”
Mr Lambert was booked into Columbiana County Jail before being released later that night.
