Photojournalist struck in the head by projectile at Minnesota protest

Status Coup photojournalist Zach Roberts was hit in the back of the head by debris from a crowd-control munition while covering an immigration protest in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 14, 2026.

Protests in the state have erupted after a federal immigration enforcement surge and the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. Both the city of Minneapolis and the state have since sued the Trump administration, arguing the unprecedented deployment of federal agents violates constitutional rights.

After an ICE officer shot and injured a Venezuelan man that evening, nearby residents gathered to protest, and fireworks were being set off near a line of federal law enforcement officers, Roberts told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker. Minnesota State troopers and Minneapolis police were also present.

Roberts said he had just gone live for Status Coup and was interviewing a woman near the federal officers when the situation abruptly escalated.

“Flash bangs started going off and tear gas started going off, and all chaos,” he said.

Status Coup posted a video to the social platform Bluesky showing a bright explosion, which it said was caused by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, as people suddenly began running. In the video, Roberts can be heard reacting to being struck, saying, “I got hit in the head really bad.”

Roberts, who reported that he wasn’t bleeding, said the blow came while he had his back turned to the line of federal officers. He said he is unsure what struck him and believes it may have been debris from a crowd-control munition that bounced or fragmented after being fired.

In the video, Roberts can be heard coughing from tear gas and reacting to the impact from the projectile as he reported that law enforcement officers were moving forward, firing more crowd-control munitions into the area.

“They were shooting them amongst the crowd and everywhere,” he told the Tracker. “There was no direction, no order.”

While running in the darkness, Roberts ran into a tree and bloodied his nose. Despite that, he continued reporting, though the injury and his glasses prevented him from properly sealing his protective gear, further exposing him to tear gas and making it difficult to work.

Roberts said he suffered a headache but did not seek medical treatment because he was not experiencing any further concussion symptoms.

“I still have a welt,” he said of the impact of the projectile on the back of his head. “It still hurts to the touch a little bit.”