Journalists Shot As US Crackdown on Protests Intensifies (+Video)

9News US correspondent Lauren Tomasi was broadcasting live near the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles when she was hit by a rubber bullet fired by a police officer.

Moments before the incident, Tomasi described the volatile atmosphere.

“They’ve told people to get out of this area, and protesters have been refusing,” she reported.

“We are safe here. It’s just noisy. But you can see the volatility. I can see police here are firing rubber bullets at these protesters.”

As she concluded her report, a projectile struck her leg, prompting a cry of pain caught on camera.
“You just f**king shot the reporter,” someone shouted off-camera.

Tomasi, though visibly hurt, responded, “Yeah, I’m good, I’m good,” as her cameraman helped her to safety.

Video of the incident shows the moment Tomasi was struck, underscoring the apparent disregard for press presence by US law enforcement.

Though she avoided serious injury, the impact left her bruised and shaken.

This was not an isolated event.

British photojournalist Nick Stern was also injured while covering protests near a Home Depot in Paramount, an area impacted by recent immigration enforcement operations..

Stern described being shot in the leg with what appeared to be a non-lethal round.

“In my leg was what felt like a five-centimeter hole with muscle hanging out of it and blood all down my leg,” he said.

He was transported to Long Beach Memorial’s trauma center and was expected to undergo emergency surgery.

These attacks on journalists come amid mass demonstrations triggered by aggressive deportation raids ordered under the Trump administration.

Federal agents were reported detaining immigrants at locations including Los Angeles’ fashion district and parking lots outside Home Depot stores.

In response, demonstrators took to the streets.

Police deployed flashbangs, tear gas, and rubber bullets to suppress the crowds.

Protesters chanted “shame” and “go home” at National Guard troops positioned outside federal buildings.

California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the federal deployment as a “serious breach of state sovereignty” and an “unlawful” intervention.

“What we’re seeing in Los Angeles is chaos that is provoked by the administration,” said Mayor Karen Bass.

Over 2,000 National Guard troops were deployed under Trump’s directive, citing legal authority to quell what he called a “migrant invasion.”

“We’re not going to let this happen to our country,” Trump declared.

By Sunday evening, large sections of downtown Los Angeles were locked down.

At least four Waymo self-driving cars were torched near the detention center.

Black smoke billowed into the sky as demonstrators clashed with state patrol on the 101 freeway.

The incident involving Tomasi and Stern has drawn international concern over press freedom and the apparent militarization of crowd control in the US.

While law enforcement insists force is used only when protests turn violent, rights groups argue the actions are indiscriminate and violate the constitutional protection of the press.

“Anybody has the right to peacefully assemble and exercise their First Amendment rights,” said LA County Sheriff Robert Luna.

“But when that crosses the line… that’s where we step in.”

As tensions mount, the shooting of journalists may serve as a symbol of the United States’ deepening hostility toward media scrutiny and dissent.