Reporter’s fingertip nearly severed by projectiles at LA protest

Reporter Jeremy Cuenca was struck by impact projectiles — first in the leg, then in the hand, nearly severing the tip of his pinkie — while covering an immigration protest on June 8, 2025, in Los Angeles, California.

It was one of many protests that began June 6 in response to federal raids in and around the city at workplaces and areas where immigrant day laborers gathered. After demonstrators clashed with LA law enforcement officers and federal agents, President Donald Trump called in the California National Guard and then the U.S. Marines over the objections of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass.

On June 8, Cuenca, a recent graduate of Los Angeles City College, was eager to put his newly issued press pass to use and capture the unfolding events for the college’s newspaper, the Collegian.

“I felt compelled to go out and document what’s going on — especially because it’s targeting my community, the Hispanic and Latino community,” he told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker.

Outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, protesters gathered to support detained immigrants. Cuenca found himself on the sidelines, alongside other journalists with press credentials, caught between the crowd and a line of law enforcement officers clad in riot gear.

Suddenly, the Los Angeles Police Department began shooting off crowd-control munitions without any warning, Cuenca recalled.

“They just started firing tear gas and rubber bullets into the crowd, kind of endlessly, it felt,” he said.

The dense crowd quickly descended into chaos — people were crying, choking and struggling to breathe, he said. As he tried to move away from the gas, Cuenca was struck in the leg by an impact projectile, leaving a deep bruise.

Moments later, another impact projectile hit his left hand while he was still gripping his camera.

A bystander quickly wrapped Cuenca’s injured finger in gauze before he was rushed to a nearby hospital. Surgeons managed to reattach the fingertip during what Cuenca described as a long and “tedious surgery process.”

“I’m just grateful that I was holding the camera, because it definitely could have been a lot worse,” Cuenca said.

Though he’s still healing, Cuenca has been hesitant to return to the hospital due to the high costs.

“It still hurts pretty bad,” he said. “I’m trying not to use my hand at all.”

Cuenca, who has an associate degree in psychology, said he is planning to enroll in journalism and photojournalism classes in the fall. Though the thought of returning to the field brings up some anxiety, he said the strong support he’s received from the community has helped him stay motivated to pursue journalism.

“This is really crucial right now. In this day and age, everyone has access to record with a microphone and a camera. No matter what’s going on in your community, it’s important to document everything around you,” Cuenca said. “All we have to protect ourselves is our own evidence.”

The LAPD did not respond directly to the Tracker’s request for comment but referred to a statement posted to its social media platform X, which said officers were responding to “significant acts of violence, vandalism, and looting.”

“Multiple deployments of less-lethal munitions were necessary to manage the crowds and prevent further harm to people or property,” the department said, adding that its professional standards bureau would be reviewing allegations of excessive force.