Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi was shot at close range with a rubber bullet by police while reporting live on the immigration protests outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles in a brutal scene that played out on live TV.
In the viral clip, Tomasi, the U.S. correspondent for Australia’s Nine News, was struck as she explained the police response to protests sweeping the city in opposition to immigration raids conducted by federal agents.
“After hours of standing off, this situation has now rapidly deteriorated,” Tomasi said. “The LAPD moving in on horseback, firing rubber bullets at protesters, moving them on through the heart of LA.”
But just then, a police officer behind her can be seen taking aim and firing at her.
Footage shows the reporter crying out and clutching her leg, as a bystander shouted, “You just fucking shot the reporter!”
Nine News later confirmed she was hit but had not sustained serious injury.
“Lauren and her camera operator are safe and will continue their essential work covering these events,” the network said in a statement, describing the attack as “a stark reminder of the inherent dangers journalists can face while reporting from the frontlines of protests.”
