USC freshman loses eye after being struck by federal agent’s projectile at Los Angeles ‘No Kings’ protest, attorney says

(CNN) — An 18-year-old was allegedly struck with a projectile fired by a federal agent while attending and documenting a protest last month, leaving the University of Southern California freshman without an eye, according to his attorney.

Thousands of people – including Tucker Collins – spent March 28 at “No Kings” demonstrations across the country, rallying against President Donald Trump’s policies, the rising cost of living and the war with Iran.

Collins was struck in his right eye by a less-lethal projectile fired by a Department of Homeland Security agent as he documented a protest outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, “destroying his eyeball and fracturing the bones in his eye socket,” his attorney V. James DeSimone told CNN.

When asked about what transpired and why the projectile was fired, DHS said, “The First Amendment protects speech and peaceful assembly – not rioting.”

The agency said “rioters threw rocks, bottles, and cement blocks at officers” and that seven warnings were issued before crowd control measures were deployed. Three protesters were also arrested, according to DHS.

“DHS is taking appropriate and constitutional measures to uphold the rule of law and protect our officers and the public from dangerous rioters. Our law enforcement has followed their training and used the minimum amount of force necessary to protect themselves, the public, and federal property,” their statement said.

DHS did not answer whether the agency provided treatment or has been in touch with Collins since his injury.

Collins followed the group of protesters to the detention center after taking part in the local Los Angeles “No Kings” rally, with the intention of documenting it, given his interest in photography and short films, DeSimone said. Although the crowd of protesters and the law enforcement agents were separated by a tall black metal barrier, and Collins stayed back from the front lines of the protest, he was still hit in the eye, his attorney said.

A nurse who was present at the protest helped him with his wound, according to DeSimone. Collins was taken to the hospital, but the doctors weren’t able to save his eye and had to surgically remove it, he said.

“Tucker suffered a life-altering injury documenting a protest, not participating in violence. That should alarm anyone who cares about civil rights, press freedom, and accountability,” DeSimone said in a statement. “He was not threatening anyone. He wasn’t attacking anyone.”

The USC college freshman studies astronautical engineering with a minor in cinematic arts, and despite being partially blinded, has kept up with his schoolwork as he recovers, DeSimone said. Collins is getting used to reading with one eye, which impacts his ability to study, but “he’s still determined to try,” his attorney said.

“Taking photographs is not a riot,” DeSimone said. “That’s absolutely bogus, and it’s also just heartless.”

After widespread protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement action throughout Los Angeles last summer, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction in September 2025, limiting federal agents from excessive use of force. The 9th Circuit affirmed the decision to issue the injunction, but vacated and remanded it back to the lower court, saying it was overly broad.

The incident follows a series of cases in which protesters were injured by federal agents while demonstrating against Trump’s mass deportation efforts, including some where protesters lost eyesight, broke bones and suffered serious breathing complications, among other injuries.

A CNN analysis of more than two dozen videos of federal agents using less-lethal weapons such as chemical sprays, pepper ball guns and rubber bullets found officers routinely violated both federal and local law enforcement use-of-force policies.

The force used by federal agents has also been a point of contention in federal reform, especially after the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Minnesota, earlier this year. The fight between elected officials on how to reform DHS has led to the longest-ever partial government shutdown.

Customs and Border Protection rules say that pepper balls and other projectiles should not be aimed at vulnerable areas such as the head or spine unless deadly force is justified.

DeSimone plans to file a federal tort claim next week, which is the first step for Collins to be able to file a lawsuit. He is asking anyone who witnessed the incident or has information to contact his office.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

CNN’s Diego Mendoza, Sara Smart and Amanda Jackson contributed to this report.