Photographer and Reporter Shot by Rubber Bullets During LA Protests

Members of the media have been shot at and injured by non-lethal weapons during the Los Angeles protests against immigration raids in the city.

British press photographer Nick Stern, who has lived in the U.S. for 18 years, underwent emergency surgery after being struck by a high-velocity sponge bullet that tore through his thigh.

Stern tells The Times of London that he had been taking pictures of two women waving Mexican flags and was walking away from the scene when suddenly felt a “horrible pain.”

“I started hobbling towards the curb, these protesters helped me over the curb, sat me down medics came over, cut my trousers open and there’s this giant hole in my leg with a bit of muscle hanging out. From the moment I was hit, I believed I was going to pass out,” the photographer says.

Stern says he has been hit by “less-lethal” weapons before during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests and usually it leaves a big round bruise, but this one was different. Doctors found a 40mm wide and 60mm long object in his leg which he suspects was a round that consists of a sponge nose and a plastic body.

Stern wasn’t the only journalist who got shot in L.A. this weekend, Australian reporter Lauren Tomasi was shot in the ankle while on the scene of the protests.

As Tomasi was finishing her report on how the situation was “deteriorating” and the LAPD were firing rubber bullets to move on protesters, an officer in the background spotted her and fired his weapon toward her. The reporter screams out as people ask whether she’s okay. “I’m good,” she replies.

The police fired rubber bullets at Australian reporter Lauren Tomasi while she was reporting live from Los Angeles today.

Appalling and unjustified. pic.twitter.com/QLixvXawDg

— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) June 9, 2025

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade issued a statement declaring that “all journalists should be able to do their work safely” following the incident.

The protests started on Friday after Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers were carrying out raids in the city. The protests continued across the weekend prompting President Trump to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops across the L.A. area. This has led to more violent crashes with parts of the city descending into lawlessness.

“What I saw, I felt it was indiscriminate targeting of everybody who’s at the protests,” Stern tells The Times of London. “Sure, there were some people there throwing stuff … bits of rock, waving flags, doing donuts on motorbikes, firing off small fireworks.”

Stern says the situation is getting worse and he “wouldn’t be surprised if they start firing live rounds over people’s heads next.”

Image credits: 9 News