Independent photographer Jackson Tammariello was beaten with a baton by police while covering a protest against immigration raids in Los Angeles, California, on Feb. 4, 2026.
The demonstration began when hundreds of students walked out of school to oppose the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement practices. It also came after similar demonstrations in Minnesota, where federal officers had killed two U.S. citizens. In LA, aggressive immigration enforcement has been happening since June.
Tammariello told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker that after most of the crowd dispersed, some adults and high school students made their way to the downtown Metropolitan Detention Center, where immigrants were being held.
The students lined up outside at a nearby intersection, which the LA Police Department had taped off. Tammariello said that without much warning, officers suddenly charged the line of student protesters, pushing them out of the way. One officer, while chasing a protester, turned toward Tammariello and slammed his baton into his arm.
“Just because he saw that I was in his path, he decided he could deploy whatever force necessary,” he told the Tracker. “In this instance, it did feel targeted.”
Tammariello was wearing a media credential, although he was later told by another officer, “You’re not press.”
The journalist said the blow left him feeling sore, rattled and exposed, but not deterred.
“There’s a large pepperoni-looking bruise on my arm,” he said. “I hope I can just be out there covering what I’ve been covering as soon as possible.”
The LAPD officer’s actions appeared to violate California law prohibiting law enforcement from using violent protest policing tactics with members of the press, which courts reinforced with a preliminary injunction last year.
LAPD did not respond to a request for comment. In a social media post on X, the department said it had made arrests on charges of battery on a police officer and felony vandalism. It did not address the use of force against members of the press.
This content originally appeared on U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database and was authored by U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: Incident Database.