Secret Service Agent Slams Photographer at Trump Rally into Floor

Footage of the incident shows the photographer cursing at the agent, who takes him to the ground

A Secret Service agent and a Time magazine photographer were involved in a violent scuffle at a Donald Trump rally riddled with protests Monday in Virginia.

According to Time, White House photojournalist Chris Morris left a cordoned-off press pen to photograph a Black Lives Matter protest that erupted during the Radford University rally when a Secret Service agent tried to usher him back into the pen.

Video of the incident taken by reporters and attendees shows Morris cursing at the agent, who takes him to the ground. According to Time, the agent then grabbed Morris' neck and held him in an apparent chokehold.

"I stepped 18 inches out of the pen and he grabbed me by the neck and started choking me, then he slammed me to the ground," Morris told NBC News.

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The footage shows Morris kicking at the agent and putting his hands on the agent's neck. Morris was escorted out of the tense rally and was detained before being released.

"I never punched him. I never touched him. At the end, I tried to show… the press lead what he did to me and I said, 'He choked me,' so I put my hand on him, and that’s when I was arrested," Morris said.

Time said Morris took responsibility for his role in the conflict.

"TIME has contacted the U.S. Secret Service to express concerns about the level and nature of the agent’s response. Morris has also expressed remorse for his part in escalating the confrontation," the magazine wrote in a statement posted on its website Monday. "A TIME spokesperson said, 'We are relieved that Chris is feeling OK, and we expect him to be back at work soon.'"

The Secret Service said it is investigating "the exact circumstances" of the incident. The agent has not been identified.

Trump's campaign said it was not aware of all the details surrounding the incident and directed questions to local law enforcement.

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