An Australian journalist was struck by a rubber bullet fired by law enforcement during a live shot covering a violent anti-ICE protest in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday.
Lauren Tomasi of 9News Australia, a CNN affiliate, was conducting a live broadcast when she was struck with the non-lethal projectile.
Video of the Sunday afternoon incident shows Tomasi standing to the side of an intersection in downtown Los Angeles as armed police officers confronted protesters.
“After hours of standing off, this situation has now rapidly deteriorated, the LAPD moving in on horseback, firing rubber bullets at protesters, moving them on through the heart of LA,” Tomasi said moments before she was hit.
In the video, an outraged bystander can be heard yelling at officers, “You just shot the f***ing reporter!”
Tomasi shrieks and limps away after the impact, telling bystanders, “I’m good.”
The Australian journalist was left sore but not seriously injured, while her country’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade issued a statement saying, “all journalists should be able to do their work safely,” according to The New York Times.
It remains unclear whether the officer had deliberately aimed at the journalist, and the LAPD stated to the Times that it did not have “any comment or statement on any specific incident pertaining to the protests.”
The LAPD did issue several “unlawful assembly” declarations over the weekend, warning media members to “please keep a safe distance from active operations.”
Rubber bullets have been regularly used by law enforcement for crowd control for years, but they can cause serious injury, as was the case for a British journalist hospitalized by a rubber bullet over the weekend.
The Los Angeles anti-ICE protests, which began somewhat peacefully early Saturday after reported raids in the area, deteriorated into more chaotic scenes by late afternoon, leading President Donald Trump to deploy thousands of National Guard troops in the afternoon.
The violence continued on Sunday afternoon, with rioters throwing objects and concrete at officers, setting vehicles on fire, and shooting “commercial grade fireworks” at law enforcement.
