A British-American photojournalist is suing Los Angeles County and the Sheriff's Department, claiming he was severely injured by a less-than-lethal projectile while covering a protest in Compton earlier this month.
Nick Stern is a freelance photographer with decades of experience covering protests around the world. On June 7th, Stern says he was attempting to photograph an anti-ICE protester waving the Mexican flag, backlit by headlights from sheriff's department vehicles, as rounds of less-than-lethal ammunition burst all around him.
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"It was nighttime. They were firing so indiscriminately, just volleys of shots toward the protesters for quite a considerable time. They're probably unaware if they're actually hitting anything," Stern said.
According to the suit, at approximately 6:00 PM, officers set a skirmish line on Alondra Blvd, just East of S Frailey. An estimated 10-15 members of the public created a barricade on the north side of the street and were throwing objects towards the skirmish line, approximately 200 feet away.
Just before 9:00 PM, the suit claims Stern was taking pictures from about 40 ft away from the agitators, near individuals who "posed no imminent threat of harm to the deputies," when he saw an explosion directly in front of him.
"I heard a loud, loud bang and felt a horrific pain in my right thigh," Stern recalled.
He said he immediately grabbed his leg to find an object lodged in his thigh with blood "pouring" out.
His attorney, V. James DeSimone, filed the claim against the County of Los Angeles because officers "shot an explosive device in [Stern's] immediate vicinity, and when it exploded, a casing came off of it and ricocheted into his leg 3 inches deep.
DeSimone said the projectile had to be surgically removed.
Stern spent four days in the hospital and is reporting enduring physical pain, trauma, mental harm, and emotional distress.
The claim states that, "The use of force violated Stern's rights protected by federal and state law, including the 4th Amendment, the Bane and Ralph Act, battery, negligence, penal code 13652."
Stern is suing the county for an undisclosed amount for damages.
The sheriff's department told KNX News it is reviewing the incident.
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