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Attorneys representing a journalist from the city of Chicago's WGN television station who was temporarily detained by federal agents last week describe the event as "an occurrence that ought to concern and horrify each individual in this country".

Details of the Detainment

The journalist, a US citizen and WGN employee, was taken into custody on the weekend by federal agents during an ICE action in Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood. Videos from the scene depict Brockman being forced to the ground by officers before she is handcuffed and put in a vehicle.

At the moment, a government spokesperson claimed that Brockman "hurled items at border patrol's car" and was "detained for assault on a federal law enforcement officer".

Subsequently that day, the television station announced that their employee had been released from federal custody and that no accusations had been filed against her.

Attorney's Response

In a statement issued by attorneys representing Brockman on Tuesday, her legal team challenged the official version. They declared they "adamantly deny any allegation that she assaulted anyone" and that "Brockman was the one who was violently assaulted by federal agents on her way to work" on the date in question.

Her attorneys say that at the moment of the detainment, Brockman was "not acting in any professional capacity as an employee for the station" but that she was just "walking to the transit point as part of her daily travel when she was confronted by Border Patrol agents.

"Brockman, who is a American citizen born in this country, was violently detained on Foster Avenue," the release adds. "As this occurred, individuals on the street began filming the event and inquired Ms Brockman her name."

The release says that she informed the bystanders her name and that she worked at the station, in the hopes that "someone would notify her employer so colleagues would know that she would not be arriving at work that day", her lawyers stated.

Aftermath and Next Steps

According to her legal team, Brockman was held in federal custody for about several hours before being released.

"She has not been charged with any crimes and she plans to pursue all legal avenues open to her to uphold her rights and hold the federal authorities accountable for their actions," the release notes.

"Brad Thomson, one of her attorneys, commented in the statement: "When armed, covered, federal agents are snatching US citizens off the street as they walk to work and placing them in non-descript cars, you can only imagine what these agents must be prepared to do to our foreign-born residents and people who choose to protest against them."

"Ms Brockman was taken to the ground, struck, handcuffed, and her pants were pulled down exposing her uncovered skin," the lawyer said. "No one should be handled like that in this city, in this country or anywhere else in the world."

ICE, the Department of Homeland Security, and the US Customs and Border Protection did not provide a prompt reply to requests for comment from news outlets.