Overview
- Tucker Collins, who was photographing the Los Angeles protest on March 28, was struck in the right eye by a less-lethal round and later had the eye surgically removed, his attorney said.
- DHS said the event was a riot, claimed officers used the minimum force needed, and noted seven warnings before crowd-control measures, with three arrests reported.
- Video reviewed by outlets shows Collins suddenly falling and later receiving help as blood pooled around his eye, and his lawyer said he stood back from the front lines behind a metal barrier.
- Collins’ attorney plans to file a federal tort claim next week as the first step toward a civil-rights lawsuit and is seeking witnesses who saw the shot or the officers involved.
- Federal rules advise against aiming pepper balls or similar rounds at the head unless deadly force is justified, and a 2025 injunction limiting DHS tactics was vacated as overbroad and sent back to a lower court for further work.