Photojournalist struck in head with pepper ball amid Minnesota protest

Aaron Nesheim, photojournalist for the Sahan Journal, was shot with a crowd-control munition by law enforcement while reporting on protests in response to a federal immigration enforcement raid in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Nov. 25, 2025.

The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that while federal authorities — including agents from Homeland Security Investigations — conducted a raid at a home, St. Paul Police Department officers formed a perimeter to keep the mounting protest at bay.

Nesheim and two fellow photojournalists — Kerem Yücel of Minnesota Public Radio and Tim Evans, on assignment for Reuters — were working near each other much of the day, according to MPR. As federal officers prepared to leave, police tried to clear the area, but the scene devolved into chaos.

Evans told the outlet that police began shooting pepper balls at the feet of protesters, who in turn threw objects toward the officers. Amid the protest response, all three photojournalists were shot with crowd-control munitions.

Evans was shot in the stomach with a pepper ball, which left a black-and-blue welt. Nesheim, who did not respond to a request for comment, told MPR he witnessed the moment a crowd-control munition struck Yücel in the shoulder.

“They opened fire,” he said of police officers. “And I heard Kerem yell, and saw him kind of grab himself just below his collarbone.” He was taken by ambulance to a local hospital and later released.

Moments after, Nesheim told MPR, he too was struck.

“I felt a round graze the side of my head and left a small bump,” he said. “A matter of an inch and I might have been in the ambulance there with [Yücel].”

All three photojournalists told MPR that they were clearly identifiable as press and believe police deliberately targeted them for doing their jobs. None of them reported hearing any verbal warnings before officers opened fire.

In an emailed statement to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, police Chief Axel Henry said that a full review of the department’s response Nov. 25 is underway.

“We are committed to a thorough review. This consists of viewing hundreds of hours of body camera footage, as well as footage being shared by community members,” Henry wrote. “We are also actively seeking to arrange meetings with local law enforcement leaders and federal law enforcement to create sustainable prevention strategies for our city and the rest of the state.”

The Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists condemned the attacks, noting that, “Attacking journalists sends a message to both journalists and everyday citizens that their First Amendment rights will not be respected.

“Photojournalists are on the frontlines of documenting history and it is imperative that they are kept safe and their First Amendment rights are protected,” it added.