Reporter shot by police while filming LA riots
Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi was right in the middle of the action when she was struck by a rubber bullet in the violent clashes.
The U.S. correspondent of Nine News Lauren Tomasi has been reporting on the protests that have broken out in response to the controversial immigration crackdown by President Donald Trump.
On June 8, Sunday, protesters overwhelmed downtown Los Angeles, and some of them burned cars around the Metropolitan Detention Centre. It had started off as a peaceful day with relatively small groups of people protesting against the immigration raids but tensions soon rose as the crowds grew to thousands in the afternoon.
Tomasi was reporting live on 257 E Temple Street and explained how the LAPD was charging in on horseback, shooting rubber bullets at the protesters. The mayhem was right at their doorstep just a few minutes later Tomasi was hit by a rubber bullet.
The voice of a bystander broke the din: You just fking shot the reporter. Tomasi kept her head cool, replying, I am fine, when one of the people around her asked her whether she was okay. Video published by Nine News seems to depict an officer intentionally shooting at her. In a statement that was confirmed later by the network, it was stated:
Lauren Tomasi was hit with a rubber bullet. Lauren and her camera operator are okay and will resume their vital duty of covering such events. This accident is a vivid lesson that journalists can be in danger when they are on the frontlines of protests, and their role in delivering crucial information is crucial.
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young of the Australian Greens was quick to react, requiring an explanation by U.S. authorities.
The first thing [Prime Minister Anthony Albanese] should say to the president is to cease shooting our journalists, she said. The freedom of press is a key foundation of a healthy, working democracy.
The riots, which were triggered by violent immigration raids, had already led to the LAPD declaring an unlawful assembly. Police made warnings through social media, asking people and the press to avoid the Civic Center area.
The case has attracted global condemnation and renewed the discussion of the police use of force against civilians and journalists. Press freedom organizations and human rights groups have made statements denouncing the attack and demanding accountability. In the meantime, President Trump has been reported to urge more violent actions, supposedly urging the LAPD to “bring in the troops.”
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsU.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
The National Guard has since been deployed and this has only escalated the controversy. The critics say that the deployment of the military in the streets of the city will only add fuel to the fire and will result in more violence.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has called on calm, addressing it to the residents and the federal administration.
Angelenos- do not participate in violence and mayhem. She wrote on X, formerly Twitter, Don t give the administration what it wants.
California Governor Gavin Newsom also joined her in criticizing the actions of Trump, saying the use of the National Guard was an unwarranted escalation.
To journalists such as Lauren Tomasi, the case highlights an emerging issue of concern in the world: that during periods of unrest, the same individuals attempting to capture the truth are being targeted.
With the dust still settling in downtown Los Angeles, the physical and symbolic wounds are still fresh, and a reminder to the rest of the world, that it is costly to stand on the frontlines of truth.
