Federal officers warned they may face jail time after new arrests

A WGN video producer was handcuffed and taken into custody by federal agents on Friday morning while documenting the arrest of a Latino man, and one legal analyst warned the move defied a court order.

Debbie Brockman was shown face down on the pavement with her pants pulled down. Chicago local Josh Thomas observed the situation and captured the incident on video. Brockman was seen repeating her name and indicating who she worked for, asking that the station be notified.

“WGN is aware of this situation, and we are actively gathering the facts related to it,” the company said in a statement, according to Block Club Chicago.

As Slate legal analyst Mark Joseph Stern posted on Bluesky, this defies a recent court order.

"It is hereby ORDERED that Defendants, their officers, agents, assigns and all other persons acting in concert with them (hereafter referred to as 'Federal Agents'), are temporarily EN/joined in this judicial district from: a. Dispersing, arresting, threatening to arrest, threatening or using physical force against any person who they know or reasonably should know is a journalist, unless defendants have probable cause to believe that the individual has committeed a crime," the order read.

"This arrest appears to be in direct violation of a temporary restraining order prohibiting DHS officers from arresting journalists. The officers here may well be subject to contempt of court," said Stern.

Thomas said that he heard honking and a commotion outside, and when he saw what was happening, he went downstairs from his apartment to capture the ordeal on video.

"A rapid response group member said witnesses told him Brockman saw federal agents detaining the man and attempted to film them and asked them for a warrant, and then the agents detained her. The rapid response group member asked not to be named," the report said.

A video posted on Reddit was taken from above the scene, showing three other individuals approaching with their phone cameras, filming the incident. The agents appeared to drag the woman closer to a vehicle while she was handcuffed. One masked agent then approached those filming and yelled, "Get back! Right now!"

The video from above captured an agent putting his hands around Brockman's neck and trying to lift her off the ground. The person filming from above can be heard yelling, "Stop putting pressure around their neck! The individual can be heard shouting that she "can't breathe."

Two other people came over to the agents to talk to those filming, the video show, and as the agents again tried to lift Brockman into an unmarked van, two people joined the crowd with cameras raised.

The agents were finally able to get Brockman into the minivan.