Photojournalist hit with projectile while covering Oregon ICE protest

Independent photojournalist John Rudoff was struck by a stinger grenade while documenting a protest outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland, Oregon, on Oct. 11, 2025.

It was one of a series of demonstrations that have taken place outside the facility since June, when President Donald Trump ramped up immigration enforcement and later raised the possibility of deploying the National Guard to the city.

Rudoff told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker that he was standing on city property when a federal officer hit him in the upper right arm with what he identified as a sting-ball projectile. The device can have a disorienting explosion, and eject rubber pellets and a chemical irritant.

Rudoff said federal agents frequently used such crowd-control munitions — including pepper spray, flash bangs and projectiles — when entering or exiting the facility’s gated driveway, often emerging fully armored and prepared to fire if the perimeter is encroached upon.

“They come charging out,” he said. “I’m extremely cautious around them, and that makes it a little more difficult for me to get the kind of photographic documentation that I need.”

On the night of the incident, Rudoff, a veteran photojournalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Reuters and The Nation, wore a white shirt to distinguish himself from protesters, a large press credential around his neck and a helmet labeling him as media. He was also carrying professional photo equipment.

With agents firing from both the ground and the roof, Rudoff said he could not determine who hit him.

“It was pretty obvious what I was doing, and they shot me anyway. That pisses me off,” he said.

Rudoff described feeling a strong impact on his upper right arm, followed by white powder trickling down his sleeve. He backed up roughly 10 feet, dusted himself off and continued documenting the protest.

Later, he found a red bruise on his arm that developed into a black-and-blue mark. Though the injury was minor, Rudoff said he was clearly identifiable as a journalist and posed no threat to officers.

“It is objectively reasonable to say I was obviously a member of the press, and I was obviously not committing a misdemeanor or felony,” he said. “That should give them pause to say to themselves, ‘No, we shouldn’t shoot this guy.’”

The Tracker has documented seven other incidents since 2017 in which Rudoff’s press rights have been violated.