A former WGN employee filed a Federal Tort Claims Act claim against the federal government after she was thrown to the ground and detained by federal agents in Lincoln Square in October, her attorneys said on June 2. Debbie Brockman, a United States citizen and former producer at WGN, alleges she was “accosted” and “violently” thrown to the ground near Lincoln and Foster avenues by federal immigration agents during an incident that drew significant attention.
Brockman accuses the government of assault and battery, false imprisonment, false arrest, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. She is seeking $10 million in damages. Her attorney, Brad Thomson, announced the legal action in a press release. Department of Homeland Security officials responded with a statement alleging Brockman was arrested for “assault on a federal law enforcement officer” for throwing objects at a car driven by Border Patrol agents that day.
Brockman has not faced criminal charges related to the incident. According to her claim, she was commuting to work when she went to a bus stop near Lincoln and Foster as federal agents were conducting immigration enforcement as part of Operation Midway Blitz. Witnesses reported seeing Brockman filming agents detaining another individual before being tackled herself.
Thomson alleged that “federal agents accosted her, tackling her and violently throwing her to the ground, battering her and exposing her buttocks, before handcuffing her and throwing her into a van.” The claim states Brockman’s injuries included headaches, pain, bruises, abrasions, contusion, nausea, as well as ongoing mental distress.
Josh Thomas witnessed part of the event from his balcony before recording video showing Brockman on her knees while being handcuffed behind her back. During the arrest, Brockman asked witnesses to contact WGN because she would not be arriving at work; according to reports, she was laid off from WGN months later due to budget cuts.
Federal officials stated their actions were prompted by safety concerns involving agitators blocking vehicles, but witness statements contradicted this account. In response through legal counsel’s release, Brockman said: “It’s horrific that a government agency supposedly established to keep America safe is terrorizing communities… We are not safe with these armed masked agents lurking in our neighborhoods showing little to no regard towards the lives of people who live here.”
