Reporter hit as LA officers fire rubber bullets at protesters
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Reporter hit as LA officers fire rubber bullets at protesters
Lauren Tomasi, a U.S. correspondent for Australia’s Nine News, was hit by a rubber bullet. Tomasi audibly exclaimed as she grabbed her calf, apparently in pain, as the camera panned away from the incident. A British news photographer, Nick Stern, was also struck while reporting on the anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles this past weekend. He is now recovering from emergency surgery, according to numerous British outlets.. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the inherent dangers journalists can face while reporting from the frontlines of protests, Nine News said.
“After hours of standing off, this situation has now rapidly deteriorated,” Lauren Tomasi, the U.S. correspondent for Australia’s Nine News, said in a live report from downtown Los Angeles, shortly before she was hit.
“The LAPD moving in on horseback, firing rubber bullets at protesters, moving them on through the heart of L.A.,” she continued.
Moments later, Tomasi audibly exclaimed as she grabbed her calf, apparently in pain, as the camera panned away from the incident.
“You just f—ing shot the reporter,” an individual was heard saying off-camera.
Another individual asked Tomasi if she was okay, and she said, “I’m good.”
Tomasi returned to her reporting spot hours later, and an Australian anchor asked the U.S.-based correspondent for an update on her condition.
“I’m okay. My cameraman, Jimmy, and I are both safe. This is just one of the unfortunate realities of reporting on these kinds of incidents. It has been a really volatile day on the streets of Los Angeles,” Tomasi said, before reporting that downtown Los Angeles had mostly cleared out by nightfall.
Nine News issued a similar statement after the incident.
“Lauren Tomasi was struck by a rubber bullet. Lauren and her camera operator are safe and will continue their essential work covering these events,” the statement read, according to the outlet’s reporting of the incident.
“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 statement continued.
A British news photographer, Nick Stern, was also struck while reporting on the anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles this past weekend, according to numerous British outlets. He is now recovering from emergency surgery.
“My initial concern was, were they firing live rounds?” Stern told a news agency, noting he was struck by a 14mm “sponge bullet” in his thigh.
“Some of the protesters came and helped me, and they ended up carrying me, and I noticed that there was blood pouring down my leg,” he added.
Source: https://www.wkrn.com/news/national/reporter-hit-as-la-officers-fire-rubber-bullets-at-protesters/