Incident details
- Date of incident
- June 30, 2026
- Location
- East Los Angeles, California
- Targets
- Steven Berumen (Independent)
- Assailant
- Law enforcement
- Was the journalist targeted?
- Yes
Assault
A sheriff’s deputy, standing at left, points a firearm at independent journalist Steven Berumen during a law enforcement operation at a World Cup celebration in East Los Angeles, California, on June 30, 2026.
A sheriff’s deputy aimed a firearm at independent photographer Steven Berumen while the journalist was documenting an arrest at a World Cup celebration in East Los Angeles, California, on June 30, 2026.
Berumen told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker that he had gone to an East LA neighborhood to document celebrations after Mexico won its match against Ecuador during the FIFA World Cup.
Berumen saw LA County sheriff’s deputies chasing several young people around the block. As deputies apprehended one of them, Berumen approached to photograph the arrest. He said one deputy then raised a firearm and pointed it at him, ordering him to stand back.
Berumen said he was wearing a blue press vest and identified himself as a journalist, but the deputy continued pointing the firearm at him. “I was wearing my press gear. I don’t think he cared, and I got a gun pointed at me,” he said.
Later, a flash-bang canister fired by law enforcement detonated near his feet. Berumen said the device was deployed after someone threw a homemade firework at deputies.
At another World Cup celebration several days later, Berumen said two additional flash-bangs fired by deputies landed near him. He said neither appeared to be specifically directed at him.
In response to a Tracker request for comment, the LA County Sheriff’s Department did not answer questions about the deputy’s actions toward Berumen. The department instead shared a press release stating that deputies responded to preserve order and maintain public safety during the celebrations.
Two deputies were struck with explosive devices and a third was struck in the eye by a thrown object, according to the release, which did not address the use of force against members of the press.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker catalogs press freedom violations in the United States. Email tips to [email protected].
