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Legal representatives acting for a journalist from the city of Chicago's WGN television station who was briefly held by government officers last week characterize the event as "something that should concern and frighten each individual in this nation".

Details of the Detainment

Debbie Brockman, a US citizen and station staff member, was arrested on the weekend by federal agents during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood. Videos from the location show Brockman being pushed down by officers before she is restrained and put in a van.

At the time, a homeland security official stated that Brockman "hurled items at border patrol's car" and was "placed under arrest for assault on a federal law enforcement officer".

Subsequently that day, WGN confirmed that Brockman had been released from federal custody and that no accusations had been filed against her.

Legal Team's Response

In a news release released by attorneys representing the journalist on Tuesday, her legal team challenged the official version. They declared they "adamantly deny any claim that she assaulted anyone" and that "She was the one who was physically attacked by officers on her way to work" on the date in question.

Her attorneys say that at the time of the detainment, Brockman was "not performing in any professional capacity as an employee for the station" but that she was just "walking to the bus stop as part of her daily travel when she was confronted by federal officers.

"The individual, who is a American citizen native to the US, was violently detained on a city street," the release continues. "As this happened, individuals on the street began recording the event and asked her her name."

The statement says that she informed the onlookers her name and that she worked at WGN, in the hopes that "a person would notify her employer so colleagues would know that she would not be coming at work that day", her lawyers said.

Aftermath and Next Steps

According to her legal team, Brockman was kept in government detention for about several hours before being freed.

"The individual has not been charged with any offenses and she plans to explore all legal avenues open to her to vindicate her entitlements and ensure government accountability for their actions," the release notes.

"One attorney, a legal representative, added in the statement: "When armed, covered, government officers are snatching American nationals off the street as they travel to work and placing them in non-descript cars, you can only conceive what these agents must be willing to do to our immigrant neighbors and individuals who dare to speak out against them."

"The journalist was forced down, battered, restrained, and her pants were lowered exposing her bare buttocks," the lawyer stated. "No one should be handled like that in this metropolis, in this nation or any other place in the globe."

ICE, the federal agency, and the US Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to requests for comment from news outlets.