A photographer on assignment for the New York Post covering protests in Los Angeles recorded himself getting shot in the head by a rubber bullet that was fired by a police officer.
Toby Canham was standing above the 101 freeway filming violent confrontations between protesters and police when an officer from the California Highway Patrol turned his weapon at him and fired.
Incredibly, Canham filmed the bullet flying toward him right until the moment he was hit. “I just got shot in the head,” the photographer can be heard saying after dropping his camera to the ground.
Post photographer shot in the head with rubber bullet in LA anti-ICE riots — and he caught the terrifying moment on camera https://t.co/YjG36Co69M pic.twitter.com/PhTTCIYMz6
— New York Post (@nypost) June 9, 2025
The Post reports that 59-year-old Canham spent yesterday in the hospital being treated for whiplash and neck pain. He’s been left with a large bruise on his forehead.
“When I got whacked, to my best recollection it was just me filming with my cameras on and then I got shot,” says Canham. “Where I was hit, I was the only person overlooking the freeway. I wasn’t surrounded so I was an easy target.”
Canham, a veteran photographer based out of Los Angeles who has served in the British Army, was wearing his press pass when he was shot. He says he could have easily lost an eye.
“It’s a real shame. I completely understand being in the position where you could get injured, but at the same time, there was no justification for even aiming the rifle at me and pulling the trigger, so I’m a bit p****ed off about that, to be honest,” Canham adds.
The police fired rubber bullets at Australian reporter Lauren Tomasi while she was reporting live from Los Angeles today.
Appalling and unjustified.
pic.twitter.com/QLixvXawDg— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) June 9, 2025
Canham was shot on the same day another British photographer, Nick Stern, was shot. Stern required emergency surgery after a high-velocity sponge bullet tore through his thigh.
Another journalist, this time an Australian TV reporter, was also struck by one of the non-lethal bullets. It was recorded on camera (above) and shows Lauren Tomasi of 9 News screaming out after an officer fired at her.