An Australian television journalist reporting live from downtown Los Angeles amid the large-scale protests over President Trump’s immigration crackdown was hit in the leg by a rubber bullet, her network said.
Lauren Tomasi, a 9News correspondent, was reporting live on Sunday when an officer behind her suddenly raised their firearm and fired a nonlethal round at close range, video shows. Tomasi, who doesn’t appear to be wearing personal protective equipment, cries out in pain and clutches her lower leg as the cameraman quickly pans away and they move away from the police line.
“You just (expletive) shot the report,” a voice off-camera can be heard shouting.
Tomasi can be heard reassuring her crew she was OK: “Yeah, I’m good, I’m good.”
The demonstrations in Los Angeles began with a few hundred people on Friday and swelled by Sunday to thousands who blocked a major freeway and set several self-driving cars on fire.
On Saturday, Mr. Trump, who called the demonstrators “troublemakers and insurrectionists,” sent about 2,000 National Guard troops to the city despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s objections. It is the National Guard’s first deployment without state consent since 1967.
The shooting came after a tense afternoon in which Tomasi and her crew were caught between riot police and protesters. At one point, she struggled to speak over the sound of clashes, while a protester grabbed the camera mid-broadcast.
“They’ve told people to get out of this area, and protesters have been refusing,” she reported. “We are safe here. It’s just noisy. But you can see the volatility.”
Speaking later Monday to 9News, Tomasi confirmed she was safe.
“I’m OK, my cameraman Jimmy and I are both safe. This is just one of the unfortunate realities of reporting on these kinds of incidents,” she said.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said Sunday night that 39 people have been arrested in total — 29 on Saturday and 10 on Sunday — in connection with the unrest.
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