Gov. Mike DeWine’s choice to be the next director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services was named in a now-settled lawsuit filed by a news reporter who alleged that authorities used excessive force as he was covering a news conference about the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine.

DeWine announced on Tuesday that he has nominated Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., the state's current adjutant general, to take over the department in charge of veterans’ affairs in Ohio, replacing retired U.S. Army Major General Deborah Ashenhurst, who will retire effective May 1.

Harris, who has served as adjutant general of the Ohio National Guard since 2019 and is set to retire from that post and the U.S. Army in late May, was among the defendants named in a complaint filed by NewsNation Reporter Evan Lambert in November 2023, alleging excessive force, interference with news gathering, and false arrest.

The complaint accused Harris of assaulting Lambert by pushing him to the ground and ordering his removal from the Feb. 8, 2024, briefing. Lambert, reporting live, was asked to stop filming, which he declined to do. Officers then pushed him to the ground and arrested him.

The lawsuit stated that officers grabbed Lambert by both arms and forcibly removed him while he objected. Once outside, another officer allegedly pushed him to the ground with his collar. Lambert was then handcuffed, shackled, and held in jail for about five hours.

DeWine said at the time of the arrest that he did not authorize the use of force and that reporters have "every right" to report during briefings.

Days after an $80,000 settlement was reached in the lawsuit, Lambert agreed to dismiss his claim against Harris, who never filed a response to the allegations.

During his tenure as adjutant general, Harris oversaw the creation of the Ohio Cyber Reserve and the conversion of the Mansfield Air National Guard Wing to the 179th Cyberspace Wing. He also directed the Ohio National Guard's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Harris's military career began in 1981.

The nomination requires confirmation by the Ohio Senate.

Governor DeWine has appointed Brigadier General Matthew S. Woodruff to serve as Ohio's next adjutant general. Woodruff currently serves as the Ohio National Guard's assistant adjutant general for Army and commanding general of the Ohio National Guard.