Photojournalist hit by crowd-control munition while covering protest near LA

Photojournalist Ringo Chiu was hit in the waist by an impact projectile fired by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies while covering anti-deportation protests in Compton, California, on June 7, 2025.

The protests began June 6 in response to federal raids in and around Los Angeles of workplaces and areas where immigrant day laborers gathered, amid the Trump administration’s larger immigration crackdown. After demonstrators clashed with LA law enforcement officers and federal agents, President Donald Trump called in the California National Guard and then the U.S. Marines over the objections of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass.

Demonstrations the following day were centered around a Home Depot in Paramount, a predominantly Latino suburb of Los Angeles, after Border Patrol agents were spotted nearby, the Los Angeles Times reported. That protest spread to the adjacent city of Compton.

Chiu, who was freelancing for news agency Agence France-Presse, told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker that at around 4 p.m., at an intersection in Compton, he saw some protesters throwing rocks and other objects at Sheriff’s Department deputies, who responded with crowd-control munitions including tear gas, flash bangs and foam-tipped projectiles to disperse the crowd.

Chiu was wearing a bulletproof vest labeled “PRESS” in all caps on the front and back, and a similarly marked helmet, and was carrying three professional cameras.

After the sun went down, he said the situation became more chaotic. “Protesters continued to throw rocks, fireworks and other items, and I no longer felt safe. I ran to a parking lot in front of nearby stores.”

While he was in the parking lot, he was hit on the left side of his waist by a 40 mm foam-tipped impact projectile. He said his injury was not serious.

Chiu added: “I can’t say for sure if I was targeted, but I believe I should not have been shot, especially while standing in a location where most media had gathered. We considered that parking lot a safe zone, and expected law enforcement to treat it that way.”

Chiu emphasized that the experience made it harder for him to do his job. “As a photojournalist who often works on the front lines, wearing heavy gear and a mask makes it difficult to move and capture photos. More importantly, the risk to our safety now feels higher.”

In a statement emailed to the Tracker on June 10, the Sheriff’s Department said it prioritizes maintaining access for credentialed media, “especially during emergencies and critical incidents.”

“The LASD does not condone any actions that intentionally target members of the press, and we continuously train our personnel to distinguish and respect the rights of clearly identified journalists in the field,” a public information officer wrote. “We remain open to working with all media organizations to improve communication, transparency, and safety for all parties during public safety operations.”