British Photojournalist in California Has Emergency Surgery Due to Less Lethal Round by Government Forces

British photojournalist Nick Stern, who is based in Los Angeles, was shot with a so-called less lethal round while covering anti-ICE protests and required emergency surgery for the wound.

Deputies were using flash-bang grenades and less lethal rounds against crowds in Paramount, where protests have been hotter than within the Los Angeles city limits. The crowd grew to 350 to 400 people who began to throw objects at about 100 deputies.

Stern told the Guardian:

I’m walking around taking photos and was untouched until around 9pm. I was walking across the road when I felt a mighty pain in my leg. I put my hand down and felt a lump kind of sticking out the back of my leg.

People came over to help and got me on the curb. A medic was called, who cut off my clothes. In my leg was what felt like a five centimeter hole with muscle hanging out of it and blood all down my leg. The medic put a tourniquet on it, and a journalist I was with took me to ER.

It hurt so much that I thought they might be firing live rounds. I’ve been with non lethal rounds before. They hurt like hell but generally don’t break the skin. But the blood made me think it was a live round.

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