Anchor Lane arrested in NYC
By REGINA MEDINA, DAN GROSS & BOB COONEY
Philadelphia Daily News
medinar@phillynews.com 215-854-5985
PHILLY ANCHOR Alycia Lane is scheduled to appear on TV tomorrow night in "Celebrate the Season," an annual special highlighting holiday cheer in the Delaware Valley.
Not so fast.
The suits at CBS 3 and the CW Philly may have to reconsider broadcasting the special since Lane was arrested early yesterday on charges of punching a New York City cop in the face.
According to the police complaint, the Emmy-winning anchor yelled at the female police officer, "I don't give a f--- who you are, I'm a f---ing TV reporter, you f---ing dyke," according to Philadelphiawilldo.com, a Philadelphia Weekly blog.
The Daily News exclusively reported Lane's arrest yesterday on PhillyGossip.com. She was nabbed at 2:04 a.m. at 17th Street and 9th Avenue in lower Manhattan, said New York City police spokesman Sgt. Carlos Nieves.
Lane, 35, her current honey, Q102 morning host Chris Booker, and another couple were in a cab behind a slow-moving unmarked cop car, the New York Post reported. One of the males jumped out and headed to the police vehicle, screaming, "I don't care if you're a cop, drive faster!" the newspaper said.
The officers got out and identified themselves to Lane and company, and Lane began to take photos, according to the paper. The female cop asked her to step back and that's when Lane lost it, according to the Post.
A station source said Lane's iPhone was confiscated by cops as evidence.
Lane was charged with one count of assault with intent to cause physical injury to an officer, Nieves said.
The 10th Precinct officer suffered laceration wounds to her face, Nieves said.
Lane was released on her own recognizance by 5 p.m. yesterday. No bail was set. A hearing was scheduled for April 3.
Her lawyer, Manhattan-based David Smith, defended his client.
"Miss Lane never hit or ever said any derogatory comments to anyone," he told the Daily News.
Lane was "accosted by several individuals wearing plainclothes," Smith said. "They attempted to grab her camera to prevent her from taking photographs of an altercation they [plainclothes people] were involved in. Miss Lane was shocked to learn after the fact that these individuals were police officers."
The high-profile anchor, who has been with CBS3 since 2003, "respects police officers and has done several positive profiles of them in the Philadelphia area," Smith said.
Lane and Smith "are confident" that after a full investigation, she will be cleared of the charges," he said.
Yesterday, during an open-house staff holiday party at CBS3 offices on Spring Garden Street near 15th, news of the arrest spread quickly in an otherwise jovial atmosphere, station sources said. Employees spoke in hushed tones about the arrest to their colleagues and the mood soon turned serious.
"We have no official comment at this time except to say that we are very concerned for Alycia," said station spokeswoman Joanne Calabria. "We are still trying to sort out exactly what happened."
"No decision has been made" regarding her duties, station sources said.
Lane made national headlines in May when the New York Post reported that she had e-mailed bikini photos of herself to married NFL Network anchor Rich Eisen, which upset his wife, Suzy Shuster. Lane said she and Eisen had been platonic friends for 10 years
