Lauren Tomasi, a US correspondent for Nine News, an Australian outlet, was there when the LA protests against Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown took off on June 8.
The situation erupted into chaos when some protestors began setting fire to cars in the street. In response, the LAPD shot a few rounds of rubber bullets, and one of them hit the reporter.
Tomasi was reporting the protest from the site, telling viewers, “After hours of standing off, this situation has now rapidly deteriorated, the LAPD moving in on horseback, firing rubber bullets at protesters, moving them on through the heart of LA.”
In an shocking turn of events, mere seconds after, a rubber bullet hit her. In the live footage, an eyewitness could be seen yelling, “You just f– king shot the reporter.” The clip, which was then released by Nine News, showed an LAPD officer approaching to take aim in Lauren’s direction before firing a rubber bullet at her.
When she was asked about whether she was injured, Tomasi simply responded with, “I’m good.” Following the incident, her employer, Nine News, released an official statement.
“Lauren Tomasi was struck by a rubber bullet. Lauren and her camera operator are safe and will continue their essential work covering these events. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the inherent dangers journalists can face while reporting from the frontlines of protests, underscoring the importance of their role in providing vital information.”
Australian Green senator Sarah Hanson-Young stated that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese should demand “an urgent explanation” from Donald Trump. “The first thing he [Albanese] must tell the president is to stop shooting at our journalists. Freedom of the press is a fundamental pillar of a strong, functioning democracy.”
Following the shocking the incident, Lauren Tomasi herself explained what exactly happened. “There were suddenly thousands of protestors on the streets of downtown LA and we felt the presence of the the LAPD and law enforcement really ramp up.”
WATCH: “I feel embarrassed. I really don’t want to be the story. We were just on the ground trying to do our job.”
🇦🇺 Australian reporter @LaurenTomasi on an @LAPDHQ officer intentionally shooting her with a rubber bullet, in full view, on video.
Full: https://t.co/up3UKdoXBI pic.twitter.com/w2iId2tghz
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) June 10, 2025
“I have a bit of a bloody, big old bruise, and it’s a little bit sore, but I am all ok,” She continued. The Australian journalist added, ” I just want to move on, and I will get back out there and keep on reporting it.”
On her X (formerly Twitter), Tomasi reiterated her condition, asking people not to worry about it anymore. However, during her Nine News appearance, she added, “Look, I feel embarrassed, quite frankly. I really don’t want to be the story.”
The live footage has since gone viral on social media, and the controversy has prompted an extensive investigation into the incident.
According to SBS News, Matt Stanton, the CEO of Nine News, stated, “The video footage captured by our team on Sunday showing a projectile fired from a police officer’s weapon was shocking and raised concerns from around the world, with valid questions around what could in any way have justified the actions taken by the police officer.”
Australian TV reporter Lauren Tomasi was shot by LAPD with rubber bullets while covering the protests in L.A. pic.twitter.com/WtLnzfrEHu
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) June 9, 2025
“This is why a formal investigation is so important. It is important to find out what happened and why. I plan to write to the LAPD Commissioner offering our cooperation with the investigation.”
Australian Senator Nick McKim commented, “The fact that you’ve got someone in uniform who appears to take a deliberate potshot at a journalist, that is completely unacceptable, and it needs to be raised at the highest levels, whether that’s PM, to the president, or the foreign affairs minister level.” He added that the US needs to understand that this incident is “just not ok.”
