A number of reporters encountered harm during their coverage of the recent demonstrations in Los Angeles, one such incident included an on-air journalist from Australia who was hit by a nonlethal round discharged by an officer of the law. Australian 9News correspondent, Lauren Tomasi, was giving live updates from a protest site on a Sunday afternoon when the incident occurred. The televised coverage reveals Ms. Tomasi situated to one side of a downtown intersection, with the city’s heartbeat as her backdrop.
Behind Ms. Tomasi, the camera captured a dramatic scene; law enforcement officers, both on foot and astride horses, were positioned against demonstrators with the sound of explosions pervading the air. As the intensity grew, and as crowd control measures escalated, it became clear – the situation was spiralling downhill. The Los Angeles Police Department (L.A.P.D.) was seen spearheading this charge, to disperse the gathered crowd.
In the course of her report, Ms. Tomasi commented ‘We now find ourselves amidst a rapidly worsening situation; the L.A.P.D., cavalry in tow, firing nonlethal ammunition’. Then, almost out of nowhere, the footage exhibits an officer aiming towards Ms. Tomasi and discharging his weapon. This startling moment was punctuated by her audible cry of pain as she stumbled away from the line of fire.
The broadcast network reported that Ms. Tomasi, having been hit with a nonlethal round, was left in pain, albeit no severe injuries resulted from the incident. The identity of the enforcement officer who fired the round, and the agency he represents, remained uncertain. There was also a lack of clarity on whether the officer had intended to target Ms. Tomasi.
Responses to the protests had seen a confluence of officers from various law enforcement agencies – an amalgam of forces from the L.A.P.D., the California Highway Patrol and the Department of Homeland Security. It remained unclear which agency the officer implicated in the incident represented. The California Highway Patrol, however, was prompt to clarify that the officer was not a part of their force.
Nonlethal projectiles and foam rounds, often touted as being safer alternatives to live ammunition, have nonetheless been observed to inflict significant injuries – a disturbing fact that is driving increasing demand for their prohibition. Designed for managing crowds, these options regularly constitute police resources in handling protests and episodes of civil unrest.
Their usage was seen during the nation-wide waves of protest that followed the 2020 tragic incident involving George Floyd. Despite their ‘nonlethal’ label, these rounds have prompted a degree of controversy due to their potential to cause harm.
In an additional incident, a British photojournalist residing in Southern California relayed that he had sustained significant harm caused by what he believed to be a nonlethal projectile. This incident occurred as he was reporting on a protest demonstration within Paramount, a city within the borders of Los Angeles County. He reported an injury to his leg as a result of the encounter.