Korea Daily photojournalist shot with projectile while covering LA immigration protest

Sangjin Kim, a photojournalist for The Korea Daily, was shot in the back with an impact projectile while covering an immigration protest in Los Angeles, California, on the night of June 11, 2025.

The protest was part of a wave of demonstrations that began June 6 in response to federal immigration raids targeting day laborers across LA. As clashes escalated, President Donald Trump deployed the California National Guard and later the U.S. Marines, actions condemned by Gov. Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass.

Kim documented the June 11 protest as demonstrators marched through Koreatown. When tensions escalated into a standoff with police, around 10 p.m., officers with the Los Angeles Police Department opened fire with crowd-control munitions. As projectiles flew, Kim turned to run.

“As I attempted to move away for safety — turning my back and running — I was shot in the back,” Kim told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker via email. “Despite the injury, I remained at the scene and continued photographing.”

Although Kim carried his professional camera gear, he wasn’t wearing a press credential because his LAPD-issued badge had expired. He said he doubts officers recognized him as a journalist amid the turmoil and poor visibility that night. Still, he believes the shot was intentionally aimed at him.

“I believe it was targeted. I was not standing between crowds — I was running away and still got hit. It felt deliberate,” Kim said.

The shot left a large bruise on his back that caused him pain for two weeks. “I was fortunate that the injury was not more serious,” Kim said. Undeterred, he returned to work the following day.

“I’ve long believed in the importance of a functioning public authority. Without it, even a country like the U.S. can fall into chaos,” Kim said. “But law enforcement must also operate within reasonable bounds. Recent actions — both by police and immigration officers — seem to exceed that boundary.”

When reached for comment, the LAPD directed the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker to the department’s social media accounts. In a statement posted to social platform X, the department said it and other law enforcement agencies responded to protests and criminal activity in the downtown area, using numerous crowd-control munitions.