An Armed Ohio police officer physically prevented a reporter from interviewing a public official

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Cleveland, OH - An armed state police officer physically prevented a reporter from conducting an interview with a public official following an open meeting on Monday.

Once the meeting of the Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission ended, cleveland.com and Plain Dealer reporter Laura Hancock approached Chairwoman Theresa White to ask her questions.

Hancock had walked by two police officers, who were standing near the aisle leading to White. Hancock told police she wanted to ask White some questions. She said that when the police did not respond, she walked by and began the interview.

“I didn’t even get to the bottom of the question when one of the officers was pulling my arm ... and leading me away to an area where I couldn’t finish my questions,” Hancock said. “I have never ever been touched by a police officer. I’m a law-abiding person, so I was really kind of shocked.”

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources released a statement and body camera footage (see below) of the incident. Footage showed Hancock talk to the officers briefly before walking toward the board members. After that, one of the officers touched Hancock’s elbow and pointed her away from where the board was sitting, video shows. Another officer assisted in guiding her away.

“After today’s meeting, a member of the audience approached the commissioner’s table. An officer touched the person on the arm to get their attention and requested the individual to step back. The individual stepped back, subsequently identified themselves as a member of the press, and was immediately directed to a spokesperson in the room,” the statement said.

ODNR also stated that commission meetings can become “tense and confrontational” with the presence of protesters, and that police attend to keep the peace.

“In light of this incident, ODNR is looking to find better ways to handle media access at these meetings,” the statement said.

Proponents of an open, unbiased media have long pushed to allow reporters to do their jobs and be able to ask public officials questions without the interference of law enforcement.

It’s unclear which agency the officer was from. Multiple state agencies were working at the meeting, Hancock said.

Rick Rouan, the politics editor at cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer, has lodged a formal complaint with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s office. DeWine spokesman Dan Tierney said his office is looking into the matter.

The news organization reached out to White and a spokesperson for the commission seeking a comment.

It’s common for reporters, activists and members of the public to approach board members to ask questions or express opinions at public meetings.

That is especially true of the Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission, which handles the leasing of public land for fracking. Activists often attend the panel’s meetings to comment on the practice.

Hancock, an award-winning reporter who has covered state policy from Columbus, said this is the first time in her 25-year career where a police officer has physically blocked her from asking questions following a meeting.

It was also unusual for a meeting to have such a substantial police presence, as Hancock noted that at least six officers were at the meeting. She has covered contentious meetings involving topics such as transgender athletes in sports, abortion and gun legislation. Those hearings typically only have one or two police officers, Hancock said.

Though the police officer did not harm Hancock, sabotaging an interview is a new experience for the veteran reporter, she said.