Unpacking claim LAPD officers shot photographer on rooftop during 2025 ICE protests
On June 10, 2025, following a weekend of protests against immigration enforcement actions in Los Angeles, a claim (archived) circulated online that Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers shot a photographer filming protesters from a rooftop.
The footage came from a June 9, 2025, news livestream (archived). That stream showed a person on a rooftop near First Street and Los Angeles Street stumble backwards and fall, dropping a small, dark item as they did so. After about 10 seconds, the fallen person was able to get back up and be escorted off the rooftop.
The claim circulated on X (archived) and Instagram (archived).
However, Snopes could not independently verify whether the person seen falling down on the rooftop was a photographer shot by an LAPD officer. The LAPD did police (archived) a protest near First Street and Los Angeles Street on June 9, eventually authorizing (archived) the use of "less lethal munitions," according to its X account.
These munitions include things like tear gas and rubber bullets. According to the LAPD, "Less lethal munitions may cause pain and discomfort."
We found no credible reports of a photographer being shot by police on June 9, though journalists and photographers were injured by rubber or plastic bullets on two previous days of protest.
The LAPD media relations division referred us to their X account when asked about the video, which did not mention this particular incident.
Organizations including the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders had tracked between 20 and 27 incidents involving journalists and law enforcement officers in LA since June 6, 2025, at the time of this writing.
The Los Angeles Press Club keeps a running tracking document of incidents. This document did not list any recorded incidents of a photographer or journalist being shot on June 9 at the time of this writing.
ABC News 4. "Anti-ICE Protesters March through Downtown Los Angeles." YouTube, 9 June 2025, https://www.youtube.com/live/64tDcUZQlAM?t=16714s.
California Press Rights Tracking Doc (Consolidated). Los Angeles Press Club, 12 Apr. 2021, https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fvDDwyAfL8rMGyU8sYIAJ5ZKntSwnPpFzcXh8tQfMU4/edit?gid=0#gid=0.
Gregory, James. "British Photographer Injured by 'plastic Bullet' during LA Protests." BBC News, 9 June 2025, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg7vzrj6g3o.
@LAPDCentral. "⚠️Traffic Advisory⚠️ Temple Is Closed between Spring St and Alameda. ." X, 9 June 2025, https://x.com/LAPDCentral/status/1932230108741587335.
---. "Protestors in the Crowd Began Throwing Objects at the Officers at Temple and Los Angeles. ." X, 9 June 2025, https://x.com/LAPDCentral/status/1932236201207214248.
"Law Enforcement Injure Multiple Journalists, Others Assaulted While Covering Los Angeles Protests." Committee to Protect Journalists, 9 June 2025, https://cpj.org/2025/06/law-enforcement-injure-multiple-journalists-others-assaulted-while-covering-los-angeles-protests/.
Propper, David. Post Photographer Shot with Rubber Bullet in LA Riots. 9 June 2025, https://nypost.com/2025/06/09/us-news/post-photographer-shot-with-rubber-bullet-in-la-riots/.
Thompson, Sean, and Jorge Branco. 9News US Correspondent Lauren Tomasi "sore, but Okay" after Being Shot by Rubber Bullet in LA Protests. 10 June 2025, https://www.9news.com.au/world/los-angeles-ice-arrest-protest-riots-australian-9news-reporter-lauren-tomasi-struck-by-rubber-bullet/ca0185c4-260e-4a90-a214-aa7c5532a7c6.
USA: RSF Condemns Wave of Violence against Journalists Covering Los Angeles Protests | RSF. 9 June 2025, https://rsf.org/en/usa-rsf-condemns-wave-violence-against-journalists-covering-los-angeles-protests.
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