Photographer hit by projectile, shoved by officers while covering LA protest

Freelance photojournalist Tod Seelie was shoved by police and struck by a crowd-control projectile while covering an immigration protest in downtown Los Angeles on June 14, 2025.

The demonstration was one of many “No Kings” protests held across the country in opposition to President Donald Trump. In Washington, D.C., the protests coincided with a military parade marking the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. In LA, the political climate was already tense following a series of aggressive immigration raids across Southern California.

Seelie told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker he was trying to move through a line near downtown’s Grand Park when deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department shoved him from behind. They were forming a containment line around demonstrators, and he was caught in the space between deputies and protesters.

Seelie was wearing a helmet marked with a press patch and had media credentials around his neck, he said. As tensions escalated, a crowd-control projectile struck his right leg, leaving a bruise and a visible residue on his pants. Tear gas filled the area, affecting both protesters and journalists.

“A lot of it I don’t know, because it was all happening at the same time,” said Seelie, speaking of when he was struck by the projectile. He said he doesn’t believe law enforcement had intentionally targeted him. Later that day, a group of protesters attacked him for taking their photo.

In a statement emailed to the Tracker, the Sheriff’s Department said it prioritizes maintaining access for credentialed media, “especially during emergencies and critical incidents.”

“The LASD does not condone any actions that intentionally target members of the press, and we continuously train our personnel to distinguish and respect the rights of clearly identified journalists in the field,” a public information officer wrote. “We remain open to working with all media organizations to improve communication, transparency, and safety for all parties during public safety operations.”