Watch: TV reporter shot in leg by LA police
An Australian journalist was shot by Los Angeles police with a rubber bullet as she covered the protests against immigration raids in the city.
In the middle of a live broadcast, a police officer appeared to aim and shoot from close range at Lauren Tomasi, the US correspondent for Nine News, with a non-lethal live round during the third day of the unrest.
On Sunday, the demonstrations against Donald Trump's immigration crackdown intensified as the LAPD and National Guard clashed with large crowds.
Standing near a police barricade, Tomasi told the camera: '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.'
Seconds later, she was shot with a rubber bullet.
The footage, posted online by Nine, shows an officer lift a gun and fire in the direction of the journalist and her camera operator. Tomasi screams out in pain and grabs her calf as a man's voice then yells: 'You just f---ing shot the reporter!'
Asked if she was OK, the reporter replies: 'I'm good, I'm good.'
In a statement on Monday, Nine said: 'Lauren Tomasi was struck by a rubber bullet. Lauren and her camera operator are safe and will continue their essential work covering these events.
'This incident serves as a stark reminder of the inherent dangers journalists can face while reporting from the front lines of protests, underscoring the importance of their role in providing vital information,' the network told The Guardian.
Tomasi was reporting close to the centre of the protests, which started on Friday, in down-town LA. The LAPD had advised the press to 'keep a safe distance from active operations'.
Sarah Hanson-Young, an Australian lawmaker, has urged Anthony Albanese, the Australian prime minister, to raise the incident with the US president, describing it as 'shocking' and 'completely unacceptable'.
The incident came shortly after Nick Stern, a British news photographer, underwent emergency surgery after being hit by a rubber bullet while covering the protests in Paramount, a city in LA county.
'My initial concern was, were they firing live rounds?' he told the PA news agency, describing how protestors carried him to safety as blood poured down his leg. 'I intend, as soon as I am well enough, to get back out there,' he added.
The large-scale protests, which were triggered by a wave of immigration raids in the city, escalated on Sunday after Mr Trump ordered 2,000 National Guard troops onto the streets.
The White House said the move was 'essential', but Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, condemned their deployment as 'purposefully inflammatory'.
Tens of thousands joined the protests over the weekend, blocking off a major motorway and setting cars on fire as the authorities used tear gas, rubber bullets and flash bangs to control the crowd.
By Sunday evening, protesters had dispersed as police declared an unlawful assembly, a move that comes ahead of officers moving in to make arrests of those who do not leave.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
13 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Glendale terminates ‘divisive' Ice detainee holding contract amid California protests
The California city of Glendale has terminated a contract to house federal immigration detainees, with local officials saying the arrangement had become increasingly 'divisive' within the community. The decision by the Los Angeles county municipality to sever ties with US immigration and customs enforcement (Ice) comes after three days of protests in other parts of the LA area. That included Sunday near the Metropolitan Detention Center, about nine miles from Glendale, where cars were set alight as anti-Ice protesters clashed with law enforcement, including the National Guard. Glendale city officials described the move to cancel the contract, which has been in place since 2007, as a local decision that 'is not politically driven' but is 'rooted in what this city stands for – public safety, local accountability, and trust'. 'The city recognizes that public perception of the Ice contract – no matter how limited or carefully managed, no matter the good – has become divisive,' it said. But the decision also reflects political tension among city and state leadership as well as federal government actions to enforce US immigration laws at the heart of the unrest. Glendale's city leadership said its police department does not and will not enforce federal immigration law, in accordance with a California state statute which prohibits the use of local law enforcement resources for immigration enforcement. 'We remain in full compliance' with California state law, the city said in a statement. 'The Glendale police department has not engaged in immigration enforcement nor will it do so moving forward.' But they acknowledged that ending the agreement with Ice could make it more difficult for families to visit detained relatives and for people held under immigration laws to access legal counsel in other jurisdictions. Glendale is the third largest city within LA county, with a population of about 210,000. It regards itself as 'a progressive community that offers the best in urban-suburban living and is an optimal location for successful businesses large and small'. Glendale's chamber of commerce calls it the 'Jewel City'. In Glendale's statement on Sunday, it said it 'is consistently ranked as one of the safest cities in the nation'. 'That is no accident,' the statement said. 'We cannot allow that trust to be undermined.' According to NBC, 82 people were detained by Ice and housed in the Glendale city jail since January. A city spokesperson told the outlet those detainees spent between six and 12 hours in the jail facility, but they were not fingerprinted or booked. Glendale says the jail only provided a bed, food, water, and medical care to Ice detainees and did not house minors. But under California law, state and local law enforcement are prohibited from allowing federal immigration authorities to use space in their facility. Civil liberties groups have opposed the arrangement. 'Ultimately and effectively, this Glendale contract with Ice is helping the Trump administration carry out its mass deportation agenda that is racist and has abused countless people's constitutional, civil and human rights,' said Andres Kwon, with the American Civil Liberties Union, to NBC. The decision came as protests intensified after the Trump administration deployed national guard troops in Los Angeles on Sunday against the wishes of Gavin Newsom, who has requested that they be removed. 'We didn't have a problem until Trump got involved,' the California governor said in a social media post. 'This is a serious breach of state sovereignty – inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they're actually needed.' Trump said he had directed his administration to 'to take all such action necessary to liberate Los Angeles'. LA police later declared an unlawful assembly, and police chief Jim McDonnell said officers were 'overwhelmed' by the remaining protesters that included regular agitators who show up at demonstrations to cause trouble. The anti-Ice protests also spread to northern California. In San Francisco, 60 people were arrested Sunday night as protesters shattered windows and vandalized buildings, according to the city's mayor, Daniel Lurie, and police. In a statement late Sunday night, Lurie said local officials supported peaceful protest but would not tolerate 'violent and destructive behavior'.
NBC News
25 minutes ago
- NBC News
Australian reporter shot with rubber bullet during L.A. protests
Video shows the moment Australian reporter Lauren Tomasi was shot with a rubber bullet while covering the L.A. protests. 9News said in a statement that Tomasi and her crew were safe and would 'continue their essential work' covering the 9, 2025
Reuters
31 minutes ago
- Reuters
Trump to speak with Netanyahu, Axios reports
WASHINGTON, June 9 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, an Axios reporter said in a post on X, citing a source familiar.
