Photo Credit: Getty Images
Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi was hit by a rubber bullet while reporting live from downtown Los Angeles during escalating protests against federal immigration raids and the deployment of U.S. National Guard troops. The 9News Australia correspondent was covering the protests on Sunday, June 8, when she was "caught in the crossfire" between demonstrators and police, according to footage shared by her network.
The video, aired live, shows Tomasi standing at an intersection surrounded by riot officers—some on horseback—when an officer raised a firearm and fired a nonlethal projectile that struck her leg. She screamed in pain but quickly assured her team, "I'm good." A voice off-camera could be heard yelling, "You just shot the reporter."
Tomasi described the deteriorating scene to viewers moments before the incident. "The LAPD [is] moving in on horseback, firing rubber bullets at protesters, moving them on through the heart of L.A.," she reported.
Despite the injury, Tomasi later confirmed to her studio team that she and her cameraman were safe. "This is just one of the unfortunate realities of reporting on these kinds of incidents," she said.
Protests in Los Angeles had intensified after more than 100 people were detained in federal ICE operations starting Friday, June 6. Law enforcement responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, and flashbang grenades as crowds blocked freeways and set autonomous vehicles ablaze. At least 56 protesters were arrested over the weekend, according to NBC News. The California Highway Patrol confirmed 17 arrests, and some individuals faced serious charges, including assaulting officers and throwing Molotov cocktails.
President Donald Trump's decision to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles added to the tensions. California Governor Gavin Newsom strongly opposed the move, stating, "Trump is trying to manufacture a crisis in L.A. County — deploying troops not for order, but to create chaos." Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also criticized the deployment as "not necessary," insisting that local police were managing the situation.
Newsom noted that it was the first time since 1967 that National Guard troops had been sent into a state without a governor's request. Meanwhile, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell reassured the public that the police "will not assist or participate in any sort of mass deportations," and emphasized that everyone, regardless of immigration status, should feel safe contacting the police.
