Good Morning Britain presenter shot during live report from LA protests shows his injuries
A Good Morning Britain presenter has shown his injuries after being shot with a rubber bullet at the anti-ICE LA protests moments before going on air.
Unrest in America's second-largest city kicked off on Friday (6 June) after US Immigration and Customs (ICE) conducted a series of raids throughout the city in search of undocumented migrants.
Residents in several districts across downtown Los Angeles took to the streets in response and were met with heavy force from local police.
The situation rapidly deteriorated over the following days, with US President Donald Trump deploying the California National Guard - against the wishes of state Governor Gavin Newsom - and 700 marines to the city.
Advert
Protesters and law enforcement have also been caught up in a series of violent clashes on the streets, with several reporters finding themselves caught in the crossfire.
This includes Good Morning Britain's North America Correspondent Noel Phillips.
The interview began with presenter Susanna Reid revealing to viewers at home that Phillips had been caught 'in the line of fire' moments before his report the previous day (9 June).
Explaining what happened in the moments before delivering his report, Phillips said: "Just 10 minutes before coming on air yesterday, I was on the floor talking to several protesters."
Phillips then explained he'd been on the floor at that time as the situation surrounding him was 'so volatile'.
"Officers were obviously chasing protesters on the streets," he continued. "As I was laying on the floor, I felt as though an enormous ton of bricks had fallen on my arm."
Phillips soon realised he'd been hit by a rubber bullet, adding: "I realised, within about 20 to 30 seconds, that a rubber bullet had grazed the top layer of my skin and had caused a bit of injury."
Fortunately, Phillips didn't suffer any major breaks or injuries to his arm but added that the surrounding area was bandaged and still swollen.
He's not the only reporter to have been hit either, with 9News reporter Lauren Tomasi struck in the leg while on camera in horrifying footage. The Australian has since spoken out about the incident and confirmed that she is okay.
Meanwhile British photographer Nick Stern revealed to Metro that he had to undergo surgery to remove a rubber bullet from his leg, revealing he had a 'five-inch hole' in his leg with 'muscle hanging out'.
Phillips added that reporters are trained to deal with hostile environments such as the one he's in as well as gas masks, helmets and press vests for protection.
"We go on training sessions to give us a sense of how to operate, how to walk around, how to report and cover stories in environments that after often hostile and dangerous," he said.
"Of course I had this vest on, my helmet I also had, this gas mask, which I can put on at any minute pepper spray is deployed."
Topics: US News
Brenna Cooper