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9th June 2025
10:32am BST
Lauren Tomasi, a reporter for the Australian news outlet Nine was shot by police while reporting on the LA riots.
Californians were protesting against Donald Trump's repression of immigration when the protests turned violent.
US authorities, including the LAPD, and National Guard troops clashed with the crowd of demonstrators yesterday (Sunday 8th June).
The Nine News correspondent was reporting at the scene, explaining to the viewers that "after hours of standing off, this situation has now rapidly deteriorated, the LAPD moving in on horseback, firing rubber bullets at protesters, moving them on through the heart of LA".
Immediately thereafter, Lauren Tomasi was shot with a rubber bullet while a bystander was heard saying: "You just f**king shot the reporter."
"I’m good," Tomasi responded when asked if she was ok.
In the footage shared by Nine on X, an officer appears to aim in the direction of Tomasi before they started firing.
U.S. Correspondent Lauren Tomasi has been caught in the crossfire as the LAPD fired rubber bullets at protesters in the heart of Los Angeles. #9News
— 9News Australia (@9NewsAUS) June 9, 2025
LATEST: https://t.co/l5w7JxixxB pic.twitter.com/nvQ7m9TGLj
Nine News shared a statement: "Lauren Tomasi was struck by a rubber bullet. Lauren and her camera operator are safe and will continue their essential work covering these events.
"This incident serves as a stark reminder of the inherent dangers journalists can face while reporting from the frontlines of protests, underscoring the importance of their role in providing vital information."
The altercation happened at 257 E Temple Street, Los Angeles, where the protest was focused on the Metropolitan Detention Centre in downtown Los Angeles, where people were detained after earlier immigration raids.
Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has asked the prime minister, Anthony Albanese for 'an urgent explanation' from the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)
She said that the incident was 'simply shocking' and 'completely unacceptable', according to LADbible.
“The first thing he [Albanese] must tell the president is to stop shooting at our journalists,” Hanson-Young said. “Freedom of the press is a fundamental pillar of a strong, functioning democracy,” per The Guardian.
On X the LAPD had issued an "unlawful assembly" notice for the area and earlier advised "media partners, please keep a safe distance from active operations".
LAPD Chief McDonnell said in a press conference at the time that the police were 'overwhelmed as far as the number of people out there engaged in this type of activity and the type of things that they’re doing', per CNN.
