Don Lemon is speaking out about the night he was arrested, saying federal agents ignored his offer to turn himself in and instead detained him as a way to humiliate him.
Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, the former CNN anchor described being taken into custody at his Beverly Hills hotel while covering Grammy weekend. Lemon said his attorney had reached out to authorities ahead of time, but no response came.
“They want to embarrass you,” Lemon told Kimmel. “They want to intimidate you. They want to instill fear.”
Lemon was arrested on Friday in connection with a January protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, where demonstrators interrupted services over the pastor’s alleged ties to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Prosecutors claim Lemon coordinated with activists before the protest. He strongly denied that.
Lemon faces federal charges related to interfering with religious freedom and has said he plans to plead not guilty. His next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 9.
“I went there to chronicle and document and record,” Lemon said. “There is a difference between a protester and a journalist.”
He recalled being surrounded by roughly a dozen officers and said he was shown a photo of a warrant only after being escorted outside. Lemon also alleged he was held for more than 12 hours without access to his lawyer or a phone call.
“That was a waste of resources,” he said. “I had already offered to surrender.”