An Australian senator is calling on the country’s prime minister to demand an urgent explanation from US President Donald Trump after an Australian TV reporter was shot with a rubber bullet by police in Los Angeles.
During a live broadcast, Nine Network’s US correspondent Lauren Tomasi was reporting on protests against immigration raids when she was hit in the leg by a rubber bullet fired by the LAPD as they moved in on protesters.
“After hours of tension, the situation escalated quickly, with the LAPD using rubber bullets to disperse protesters in the heart of LA,” Ms Tomasi reported before being shot herself.
Footage of the incident showed an officer taking aim at Ms Tomasi before firing the rubber bullet.
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens spokesperson for media and communications, condemned the shooting, calling it “simply shocking” and demanding an explanation from the US administration.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has not yet addressed the incident publicly, while Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles refrained from commenting on US immigration policy but expressed relief that Ms Tomasi was unharmed.
This incident comes after a similar one in 2020 when Seven Network correspondent Amelia Brace was shot with non-lethal rounds and hit with a truncheon by US police during a Black Lives Matter protest in Washington DC.
Ms Brace and her cameraman, Tim Myers, were targeted by police as they cleared the area for President Trump’s surprise appearance, with Ms Brace testifying to US Congress that she was shot in the legs and backside, while Mr Myers was hit in the neck by non-lethal rounds.
