Incident details
- Date of incident
- June 8, 2025
- Location
- Los Angeles, California
- Targets
- Anonymous reporter 6
- Assailant
- Law enforcement
- Was the journalist targeted?
- Unknown
Assault
Police in downtown Los Angeles, California, on June 8, 2025. A reporter was shot with a crowd-control munition while covering an immigration protest there that day.
A reporter was struck by an impact projectile fired by police while covering an immigration protest in downtown Los Angeles, California, on June 8, 2025.
The protest was part of a wave of demonstrations that began June 6, following federal immigration raids across the LA area amid a larger immigration crackdown by the Trump administration. After demonstrators clashed with LA law enforcement officers and federal agents, President Donald Trump called in the California National Guard and later the U.S. Marines, despite objections from state and local officials.
The reporter, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal from federal authorities, told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker that around 6:30 p.m. on June 8, they were standing with other journalists documenting an encounter between protesters and Los Angeles Police Department officers near City Hall. The reporter said they were wearing a press pass and filming with their phone.
The police started firing projectiles in the direction of the protesters, and then pointed crowd-control weapons at the group of journalists, the reporter said. The reporter then moved up a flight of stairs to get away from the police.
A short while later, the LAPD officers again began firing projectiles toward the demonstrators and the journalists. It was then that the reporter was hit in the leg with one of the projectiles. The reporter and others in the area began running to get away from the police.
The reporter said they sustained bruising but not more serious injury because of the thick clothing they had on.
While the reporter said they didn’t believe the police were aiming at them personally, “They were aiming at the direction of the journalists.”
When reached for comment, the LAPD directed the Tracker to the department’s social media accounts, where statements and comments would be posted. The account does not appear to have posted concerning assaults on reporters that day.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker catalogues press freedom violations in the United States. Email tips to [email protected].
