Incident details
- Date of incident
- January 30, 2026
- Location
- Los Angeles, California
- Targets
- E.L. (Freelance)
- Assailant
- Law enforcement
- Was the journalist targeted?
- Yes
Assault
Los Angeles Police Department officers at an immigration protest in California on Jan. 30, 2026. A photojournalist was struck in the chest with projectiles while covering the demonstration.
A freelance photojournalist was struck with crowd-control munitions fired by police while documenting a protest against immigration raids on Jan. 30, 2026, in Los Angeles, California.
The demonstration was part of nationwide protests that began that day and also followed similar protests in Minnesota, where federal officers had shot and killed two U.S. citizens. In LA, sweeping immigration enforcement has continued since June.
The photojournalist, who asked to be referred to as E.L. to protect his identity over concerns related to his dual citizenship, said he was documenting the protest downtown near the Metropolitan Detention Center, where immigrants were being held.
The LA Police Department began dispersing the crowd, pushing people away from the federal building. E.L. told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker that a few dozen people were left, some arguing with police, but overall, the moment was calm.
“At this point, they started shooting; I don’t even know why,” he said.
The photojournalist was holding his camera gear, with a press badge issued by the police department prominently displayed around his neck. When he moved back and was about 20 yards from the police, an officer fired impact projectiles squarely at his chest.
“The press pass took the brunt of it and most of the shot,” said E.L., who added that the blows hurt him and left a bruise on his skin. “I was directly targeted and shot in the chest twice.”
E.L. believes he was shot with paintball rounds, which he said police are using to target and mark people for identification later on.
“What infuriates me was there was absolutely no call for violence, whether it was against press, against myself, or against protesters,” he said.
The actions of LAPD officers appeared to violate a state law prohibiting officers from using violent protest policing tactics with members of the press, which a federal court reinforced with a preliminary injunction last year.
The LAPD did not respond to a request for comment. In a social media post on X the evening of the protest, the department said it used crowd-control munitions in response to violence against officers, but it did not address the use of force against journalists.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker catalogs press freedom violations in the United States. Email tips to [email protected].
