Four people were arrested, a CBS reporter was handcuffed and detained, and two Chicago cops suffered injuries during the chaotic aftermath of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s canceled rally Friday night at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
About 30 minutes after the rally’s official start time, an announcement was made inside the UIC Pavilion that the rally — which had been contentious from the start — would be canceled due to security concerns.
The announcement caused an uproar, with cheers from a large group of protesters and jeers from Trump supporters. It also prompted skirmishes, and the police say they arrested five people — including CBS reporter Sopan Deb, 27, of New York City, who was issued a citation for resisting an arrest. CBS aired a video that Deb recorded during his arrest.
Deb can be seen outside the UIC Pavilion, videotaping a protester whose face was bloodied. Officers surrounded the man. As Deb continued to roll tape, he was grabbed from behind and thrown to the ground.
On the video, he’s heard saying, “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” then telling the officer he’s a credentialed reporter. Deb told CBS he was handcuffed and that an officer placed a boot on his neck.
The police said Deb was taken to the 1st District police station, then released.
“I’ve never seen anything like what I’m witnessing in my life,” Deb tweeted.
Chicago Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said his agency arrested two people, including Deb; the Illinois State Police arrested one person, and the UIC police arrested two people.
Guglielmi said two Chicago cops suffered head lacerations and were treated at a hospital.
Four of those arrested remained in custody Saturday night but hadn’t been charged.
