Photojournalist thrown to the ground, arrested at LA protest

Independent photojournalist Angel Perez was tackled, handcuffed and detained by Los Angeles police while covering a “No Kings” protest on Oct. 17, 2026.

The demonstration was one of thousands of nationwide “No Kings” protests opposing the current state of the U.S. government and urging voter turnout ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Later in the day, protesters gathered near the downtown Metropolitan Detention Center, where immigrants are held.

Perez told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker that he was photographing the demonstration around 7:30 p.m. when LA Police Department officers began pushing people down the street and directing journalists to the sidewalk. Police also announced an “evacuation order” for the area.

Perez said he complied with police instructions to move to the sidewalk, but officers suddenly began running toward him, so he ran and turned down another street to get out of their way.

Video posted to Instagram by photojournalist Jake Crandall shows officers chasing Perez, grabbing him from behind and shoving him to the ground before taking him to a police car.

Other journalists can be heard shouting in the video, “He’s press,” as officers surround Perez and restrain him with his hands behind his back. Over a megaphone, an officer warns: “Members of the press. Do not get in the way, do not interfere,” before ordering people to “leave the area or you are subject to arrest.”

California law allows members of the press to cover protests and exempts them from dispersal orders. It also protects them from arrest or interference by police while doing so. A federal preliminary injunction against the city is in place to uphold those protections.

Perez, who regularly publishes his photos on Instagram, told the Tracker he repeatedly identified himself as a journalist during the takedown and while officers searched him. He was carrying his camera but was not wearing a press badge.

“I wasn’t doing anything else besides taking pictures,” Perez said. “Then they, for some reason, just chased after me.”

Officers took Perez to a police station, where he said they handcuffed him to a bench facing a wall. He was released after roughly two hours, once police reviewed body camera footage and determined Perez had been taking photographs and not participating in the protest.

Adam Rose, press rights chair of the Los Angeles Press Club and deputy director of advocacy at Freedom of the Press Foundation, which operates the Tracker, also contacted police on Perez’s behalf.

The altercation left Perez with a deep cut on his right elbow, bruising on his upper right shoulder and bruises on both sides of his face. He said he went to an emergency room after his release to have his injuries evaluated and documented. His camera and lens were scratched in the scuffle, and he lost his camera’s lens hood and viewfinder.

“They don’t take under consideration the protection of the press,” Perez said of his experience with police.

In response to questions about Perez’s detention, LAPD said it investigates all uses of force, including those involving members of the press.

“Any individual who identified themselves as ‘duly authorized’ members of the media were contacted, verified, and separated from those arrested,” the department said. “We remain steadfast in fostering strong, respectful relationships with our media partners.”