Daijiworld Media Network – Los Angeles

Los Angeles, Apr 10: An 18-year-old student of the University of Southern California lost his eye after being struck by a projectile during a protest in Los Angeles, his attorney said.

According to lawyer V. James DeSimone, freshman Tucker Collins was documenting a “No Kings” protest outside a federal detention facility on March 28 when he was hit in the eye by a less-lethal round allegedly fired by an agent of the Department of Homeland Security.

Collins received immediate assistance from a nurse present at the protest before being taken to hospital, where doctors were unable to save his eye and had to surgically remove it.

The Department of Homeland Security stated that protesters had turned violent, throwing objects such as rocks, bottles and cement blocks at officers, and that multiple warnings were issued before crowd control measures were used.

However, DeSimone maintained that Collins was not involved in any violence and was only documenting the protest at the time of the incident.

The attorney said a federal tort claim will be filed next week, which is the first step toward initiating a lawsuit against the authorities.