Key Points
- Nine journalist Lauren Tomasi was shot by a rubber bullet by a police officer during LA protests on Monday.
- In an update on social media, Tomasi said she was "a bit sore but okay".
- The protests are set to continue for a fourth day.
The Nine Network has confirmed police in Los Angeles will investigate an incident in which its United States correspondent was shot by officers with a rubber bullet while covering protests in the city.
Nine CEO Matt Stanton confirmed the investigation on Tuesday. It comes after Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell acknowledged what he said were concerning reports of members of the media being hit by crowd-control munitions, although he did not specifically mention US correspondent Lauren Tomasi by name.
"The video footage captured by our team on Sunday showing a projectile fired from a police officer's weapon was shocking and raised concerns from around the world, with valid questions around what could in any way have justified the actions taken by the police officer," Stanton said in a statement.
"This is why a formal investigation is so important. It is important to find out what happened and why. I plan to write to the LAPD Commissioner offering our cooperation with the investigation."
The incident came as Tomasi was covering the ongoing riots in Los Angeles in response to the Trump administration's immigration raids.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told the National Press Club following a speech on Tuesday, that he had spoken with Tomasi and raised the matter with US authorities.
He said the "horrific" footage, which showed a police officer appearing to point his weapon at Tomasi before firing the projectile, made it clear she had been targeted despite identifying as media.
"It is not unreasonable to think that she could go about the coverage, clearly as people can see in the footage, clearly identified as media," Albanese said.
"So we have already raised these issues with the US administration. We don't find it acceptable that it occurred. And we think that the role of the media is particularly important."
Albanese described Tomasi as "pretty resilient" following their call and praised her work in Los Angeles, where the US national guard has been deployed to respond to demonstrations.
Albanese did not say if he would raise the incident with US President Donald Trump directly during a highly anticipated sideline meeting at the G7 next week in Canada.
"Discussions I have with the president are discussions between myself and the president. That's the way that I deal with people, diplomatically, appropriately, and with respect," he said.
The Greens have called on him to raise the issue with Trump, with Senator Nick McKim telling Nine's Today program on Tuesday concern over the incident should be "raised at the highest levels".
"The fact that you've got someone in uniform who appears to take a deliberate pot shot at a journalist, that is completely unacceptable and it needs to be raised at the highest levels, whether that's PM, to the president, or the foreign affairs minister level," he said.
"The United States needs to understand that that is just not okay."
In an exchange with the media on Monday (local time), McDonnell acknowledged reports of journalists being hit by crowd-control munitions in the clashes, saying the department was "very concerned" and "looking into" any incidents
Pressed on how authorities were preventing harm to journalists who weren’t the intended targets of crowd-control munitions, McDonnell said the department focused on mitigation strategies.
"We minimise it through training, through the equipment we use. It is a target-specific munition," he said.
"That’s not to say that it always hits the intended target, particularly in a dynamic situation."
Lauren Tomasi provides an update on her condition
Tomasi thanked people for messages of support and provided an update to social media platform X on Tuesday morning, stating: "I'm a bit sore but I'm okay."
She described the incident while appearing on Nine's Today program on Tuesday morning.
"Police started pushing their way up the street. They'd begun firing teargas canisters and those rubber bullets, and we moved on to the sidewalk, really tried to stay out of the way," she said.
"I was really focused on the camera and finishing that report, telling what was happening. And I got hit. [Cameraman] Jimmy scooped me up and we made our way out of there as quickly as possible."
Tomasi had earlier told Melbourne's 3AW radio she had been left with a "nasty bruise" by the projectile, which she said was about the size of a golf ball.
