WTHR reporter describes attack in Facebook post

In a detailed and heartfelt post, WTHR reporter Emily Longnecker described being physically assaulted by a would-be thief and thanked both IMPD officers and citizens who came to her aid.

Longnecker, a WTHR reporter since 2007, was reportedly punched in the face and head by a man who attempted to grab her wallet outside a dry cleaner near the intersection of New York and New Jersey streets.

After the incident and a subsequent WTHR report in which she allowed the Indianapolis NBC affiliate to use her name as the victim, Longnecker wrote the post below:

As of this writing, the post has been shared more than 330 times.

She recounts the attack, the emotions she felt and her reaction to chase after and capture the man with the help of others.

I told him he had messed with the wrong woman and that I was not the one. I told him how dare he lay hands on a woman, how dare he touch me, how dare he think he would take from me what did not belong to him.

Hundreds of Facebook users have commented their well-wishes as Longnecker prepares to go back on the air after "a few days off to process what happened both for my physical and emotional well-being."

Follow IndyStar Engagement Producer @joetamborello on Twitter and Instagram. Actually, go follow WTHR's Emily Longnecker on Twitter first and wish her the best.