CBS News reporter Sopan Deb was arrested Friday night at the canceled Donald Trump rally in Chicago.
CBS News' @sopandeb has been detained while reporting in Chicago. Awaiting more information – https://t.co/8EU7mEgnjO
— CBS News PR (@CBSNewsPress) March 12, 2016
Before his arrest, Deb was on the floor of the area interviewing supporters and protesters of Trump before the University of Illinois Chicago Pavilion was cleared out. Deb was recording video at the time of his arrest, which occurred outside the pavilion.
His last tweet before getting arrested read: “I’ve never seen anything like what I’m witnessing in my life.”
Illinois State Police charged Deb with resisting arrest. In a news report, CBS News said there are no signs of him resisting arrest on any video taken of the incident.
In an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation” released Sunday, Deb described Friday night’s rally as “unprecedented.” He also said there has “definitely been an recent uptick” in the level of protests at Trump’s rallies.
Deb said he went outside the rally and saw police officers running towards a group of protesters, so he followed with his camera.
“Another scuffle breaks out and I’m shooting this scuffle. And before I knew it, a police officer — at least one police officer, maybe multiple — pulled me down from the back of my hoodie and threw me to the ground and bashed my face into the street. And then this police officer put his boot to my neck and cuffed me,” Deb said.
Throughout the incident, Deb said, he repeatedly identified himself to the police as a credentialed member of the news media.
Deb has been covering the presidential campaign since last summer when Trump announced his candidacy. Last January, Deb tweeted confrontations he’s had with Trump supporters.
A Trump supporter just asked me at Reno event if I was taking pictures for ISIS. When I looked shocked, he said, "yeah, I'm talking to you."
— Sopan Deb (@SopanDeb) January 10, 2016
This isn't first time this has happened. At last month's rally in Vegas, man came up to me to say "Go back to Iraq!" I've never been!
— Sopan Deb (@SopanDeb) January 10, 2016
(Image: CBS News)
