VIDEO: Australian reporter hit by nonlethal round during live report from LA immigration protests
An Australian television journalist was hit in the leg by a nonlethal round Sunday while reporting live from downtown Los Angeles on the large-scale protests over President Donald Trump鈥檚 immigration crackdown and subsequent deployment of California National Guard troops to the city.
Watch the video in the player above.
Video of the incident released by 9News shows correspondent Lauren Tomasi, microphone in hand, reporting live when an officer behind her suddenly raises their firearm and fires a nonlethal round at close range. Tomasi, who doesn't appear to be wearing personal protective equipment, cries out in pain and clutches her lower leg as she and her cameraman quickly move away from the police line.
鈥淵ou just [expletive] shot the reporter,鈥� a voice off-camera can be heard shouting.
Tomasi assured her crew she was okay: 鈥淵eah, I鈥檓 good, I鈥檓 good.鈥�
The shooting came after a tense afternoon in which Tomasi and her crew were caught between riot police and protesters. At one point, she struggled to speak over the sound of clashes, while a protester grabbed the camera mid-broadcast.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e told people to get out of this area, and protesters have been refusing,鈥� she reported. 鈥淲e are safe here. It鈥檚 just noisy. But you can see the volatility.鈥�
Speaking later Monday to 9News, Tomasi confirmed she was safe and unharmed.
鈥淚鈥檓 okay, my cameraman Jimmy and I are both safe. This is just one of the unfortunate realities of reporting on these kinds of incidents,鈥� she said.
9News is part of Nine, one of Australia鈥檚 largest media companies, which operates across television, radio, print and digital channels. Its major platforms include free-to-air Channel Nine and leading newspapers like The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
The demonstrations, which began with a few hundred people on Friday, had swelled by Sunday to thousands of people who blocked a major freeway and set several self-driving cars on fire.
President Trump鈥檚 sent National Guard troops to the city over the objections of Gov. Gavin Newsom, in the first deployment without state consent since 1967.
More than two dozen journalists have been injured or roughed up while covering protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles, leading press freedom groups to question whether law enforcement has been deliberately targeting reporters on the story.
Journalists have been pelted with rubber bullets or pepper spray, including a New York Post reporter left with a giant welt on his forehead after taking a direct hit. A CNN crew was briefly detained then released on Monday night.
The advocacy group Reporters Without Borders said there have been at least 27 attacks on journalists 鈥� 24 from law enforcement 鈥� since the demonstrations started.
The Committee to Protect Journalists, the First Amendment Coalition and Freedom of the Press Foundation were among the groups to express concern to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. In a letter, they said 鈥渇ederal officers appear to have deliberately targeted journalists who were doing nothing more than their job covering the news.鈥�
Noem hasn't replied, David Loy, legal director of the First Amendment Coalition, said Tuesday. A Noem spokesperson didn't have an immediate comment for The Associated Press.