KYW Philadelphia anchor Alycia Lane was arrested in New York Sunday for allegedly punching a police officer. Lane was arraigned on a felony charge of assaulting a police officer and pleaded not guilty.
The incident occurred around 2 a.m. in the city’s Meatpacking district. According to published reports, Lane was riding in a cab with Philadelphia radio personality Chris Booker and others when the car was stalled behind an unmarked police car. Words were exchanged between those in Lane’s cab and the police in the unmarked car. Lane reportedly began snapping photos and got into a physical altercation with a female police officer.
Lane denied striking the woman.
Lane is an Emmy Award-winning anchor on the CBS-owned affiliate’s 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. news. A native of Long Island, N.Y., Lane’s bio on KYW’s Web site said she became a journalist “to make a difference in people’s everyday lives by educating them on the big and small stories that affect us all.” She anchors a weekly series called A Woman’s View that “takes a look at issues unique to women.”
KYW issued the following statement: "We have been in touch with both Alycia and her attorney. Both emphatically stated that when all of the facts are made public, she will be exonerated. Alycia said she never struck anyone nor made the disparaging remarks that have been attributed to her. She was scheduled to begin two weeks of planned vacation time next Monday. Given the circumstances, she and station management agreed that it would be best if she begin her time off today so that she can handle this pressing situation."
