British journalist shot during ICE protests set to take legal action against Los Angeles Police Department
Former Good Morning Britain correspondent Noel Phillips claims he was "targeted" while covering the protests against immigration raids
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The Source Exclusive: British journalist shot during ICE protests set to take legal action against Los Angeles Police Department
Noel says a rubber bullet “missed him by inches” when he was covering George Floyd protests and now years later he’s been hit while covering ICE raids demos
STORY BY MELISSA SIGODO
SEPTEMBER 22, 2025
A British journalist hit by a rubber bullet while covering a protest is set to take legal action against the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
Noel Phillips was working as the North America correspondent for UK breakfast show Good Morning Britain when he was struck on June 10, 2025, during protests against ICE raids in Los Angeles, California.
Thousands had taken to the streets in days of demonstrations against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown which focused on Latino communities and saw police deployed to disperse crowds.
After taking cover in the “intense” moments when officers began firing shots, Noel says he was hit in the arm by non-lethal ammunition which left him needing treatment for his injuries.
Now, the reporter claims that he was “targeted” by police who he says could see he was a journalist, and is now suing the City of Los Angeles for the LAPD’s alleged use of excessive force.
Speaking to The Source Noel said: “It was intentional, and I was deliberately targeted because we ticked every box in terms of making sure that we weren't gathered with protesters, or people who were throwing projectiles or fireworks at the police.
“We weren't obstructing police officers who were on duty to protect federal buildings as there were a lot of the courthouses and government buildings in the area.
“They could see us. We had a camera, with a light on top, I had my helmet on, I had my body armour on.”
Noel says that when he was hit, he thought an object had fallen on his hand but was able to maintain his composure before going on air ten minutes later.
He said: “I looked down and then I saw the bullet, the rubber bullet itself. The one that hit me.
“I could see the flesh, and I could see bits of the jumper that were stuck in the flesh.
“I knew I had 10 minutes before we were going back on air. The adrenaline rush was pumping across my body, so I was very much in the moment.
“I knew I had an injury, but I wasn't feeling the extent of the pain. It was only after we did our final broadcast just after 11 o'clock, and then that’s when the pain hit me.”
The journalist says that his main aim was to simply do his job and keep people informed despite being in “excruciating pain.”
Noel said: “I was very lucky that the bullet didn't get stuck in my arm or didn't shatter upon impact causing a fragment to then go into my skin.
“But at the same time, I think, the reason I went on air and didn’t talk about it, despite being in excruciating pain whilst broadcasting live, is that I didn't want it to be about me.
“I think I was looking at the bigger picture, and I was thinking in the back of my head that I will address this at some point, but the story at the time was highlighting why so many people decided to take to the streets to protest about something that they cared so much about.”
Noel says he is pursuing “accountability” from the LAPD and that journalists need to feel safe enough to cover important stories that matter to the public.
He said: “If reporters are attacked and sort of targeted in such a way, the public loses access to the people who bring them the stories and give them underground information. That should be concerning, regardless of politics.
“I'm pursuing accountability in particular with the way how the LAPD engaged with me and subsequently the journalists covering those events.
“We had every right to be there, reporting safely as well as we could. It's the public's right to know what is really happening.
“The danger doesn't just silence people like us, it then makes our bosses think twice about deploying us to these events.
“If journalists feel unsafe, they may pull back. I mean, did I think twice when I got hit? No, I continued going out three days afterwards, with a bandage on my arm and continued my reporting.
“Because my belief was that the stories need to be told from the streets, from the voices of ordinary people. And that's why protecting press freedom is so important.”
Noel’s attorney Paul Hoff believes there will likely be more protests in future as the Trump administration continues its focus on immigration, but he hopes the case will bring about changes to the way the LAPD use non-lethal weapons by placing an injuction on the force which would prevent officers from firing at the press.
Paul said: “We have asked that [police] not be allowed to use the 40-millimetre weapons - the one that Noel was hit with - in the context of crowd control.
“Those are weapons that are supposed to be used only when officers are subjected to a particular threat from a particular person.
“They're not supposed to be used indiscriminately to disperse crowds or to take retaliation against anybody and so we've asked for that to be banned.
“Because we do not know the name of the officer who shot Noel we cannot sue him yet but we can add him as a defendant once we get that information in discovery.”
There is currently a temporary restraining order against the LAPD which was issued by a federal judge on July 11, 2025, giving protections for journalists covering protests following claims of mistreatment of the press during ICE protests.
However, Reporters Without Borders says it has since identified at least 10 incidents of violence against reporters by the LAPD.
The Source contacted the City of Los Angeles but they did not wish to comment.