Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi was shot with a rubber bullet by police while covering the immigration protests outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles. The shocking moment unfolded live on TV as she was reporting on the escalating protests against federal immigration raids.
Tomasi, the U.S. correspondent for Australia’s Nine News, was explaining the tense situation when the police began using rubber bullets to push back protesters.
“After hours of standing off, this situation has now rapidly deteriorated,” she said. “The LAPD moving in on horseback, firing rubber bullets at protesters, moving them on through the heart of LA.”
While speaking, a police officer aimed and shot at her. The video shows Tomasi crying out in pain and grabbing her leg. A bystander can be heard yelling, “You just fucking shot the reporter!”
Nine News confirmed Tomasi was hit but said she wasn’t seriously injured. “Lauren and her camera operator are safe and will continue their essential work covering these events,” the network said, adding that the incident was a “stark reminder of the inherent dangers journalists can face while reporting from the frontlines of protests.”
At the same time, British photographer Nick Stern was injured in a separate clash between protesters and police in Paramount, LA County. Stern, who was clearly marked as “press,” was hit in the thigh by a 14mm “sponge bullet,” requiring surgery.
The protests, sparked by mass arrests carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), have continued to grow. President Donald Trump’s decision to send 2,000 National Guard troops to the area has drawn sharp criticism. California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the move “purposefully inflammatory.”
Watch the footage below via X.
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
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— 9News Australia (@9NewsAUS) June 9, 2025
