Two press advocacy groups are suing the LAPD and Police Chief Jim McDonnell in a California federal court, alleging that police assaulted journalists and blocked their access to permitted areas during recent immigration-raid protests in Southern California.
The lawsuit, obtained by TheWrap, states that the journalists’ First and 14th Amendment rights were violated in sometimes “targeted” attacks. The filing seeks remedies to prevent further misconduct by the department.
“The widespread use of force against journalists by LAPD officers indicates an intent to prevent public scrutiny of police conduct toward demonstrators,” the lawsuit reads.
The suit was filed by Status Coup, an investigative reporting network, and the L.A. Press Club, alleging that among others, independent journalist Tina Berg was forcibly removed by law enforcement officers from areas where she was allowed to record during the demonstrations earlier this month.
In one case, she was more than 100 feet from demonstrators when she was told she was being made to leave for her own safety. It also notes that reporters from Cal Matters and The New York Times were shot by non-lethal rounds during ICE raid protests.
“In each of these cases the journalists in question were simply reporting on the protests as they had a right and duty to do,” the lawsuit states, noting that none “were engaged in conduct that would have justified the use of any force against them much less the force that was used.”
It also notes the widely shared moment in which Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet while conducting a live broadcast. “The officer looked directly at her and fired,” the complaint alleges.
Another reporter, Jeremy Lindenfeld, was struck in the abdomen while wearing press credentials. “Journalists were not caught in the crossfire — they were targeted,” the National Press Club wrote in a supporting statement.
The LAPD did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment.
Filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the suit claims LAPD officers violated state and federal laws protecting press freedoms by using excessive force, detaining reporters unlawfully and denying them access to areas critical for coverage.
“Being a journalist in Los Angeles is now a dangerous profession,” the complaint reads. The plaintiffs claim these actions reflect a systemic disregard for court orders and state statutes designed to safeguard press access.
The legal action points to previous LAPD misconduct during protests, including the 2007 May Day rally and the 2020 George Floyd demonstrations. The state of California has since enacted legislation to prohibit the use of force against journalists and guarantee their access.
“The LAPD has a long history of obstructing the press, and recent events demonstrate that they have learned nothing from past court rulings or legislative mandates,” wrote Carol Sobel, an attorney representing the plaintiffs.
The lawsuit seeks a court injunction to prevent future violations, a declaratory judgment affirming the city’s obligations to protect press freedoms, and attorneys’ fees.
