Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested Thursday in Los Angeles on federal charges tied to a protest last weekend at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, sources tell CBS News.
The arrest was carried out by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations, and stems from the demonstration that disrupted services at Cities Church after activists criticized the involvement of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official in church leadership.
The protest, which drew national attention and sparked a civil rights investigation, included dozens of demonstrators who entered the sanctuary and chanted against ICE following the fatal shooting of a Minnesota woman by an ICE agent earlier this month.
Federal prosecutors had sought to bring charges against Lemon and others, but a federal magistrate judge previously refused to approve arrest warrants citing insufficient probable cause; the Justice Department’s effort has been unusual and closely watched.
At least three other activists have been charged or arrested in connection with the church action, and federal authorities have said the investigation remains active even as legal questions over press freedoms and the scope of civil rights statutes continue to unfold.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Tell your Smart Speaker to "PLAY 1080 KRLD"
Sign Up to receive our KRLD Insider Newsletter for more news
Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube