A man from Los Angeles and a British photojournalist have recently filed several civil rights lawsuits against LA County for causing injury to many civilians with flashbang devices during anti-ICE protests. The lawsuit was filed on June 17, 2025.
33-year-old Segio Espejo, who was attending a No Kings protest on Saturday, claims a flashbang device used by officers at the scene struck him and exploded on impact, leading to his left pointer finger being amputated.
Video evidence taken at the site shows Espejo waving his flag as the projectile struck him and exploded in front of his face. He emphasized that they were in no way rioting, but were instead peacefully protesting and causing no real violence or damages.
The photojournalist, Nicholas Stern, also alleges the LASD violated his civil rights. It states in the claim that Stern required surgery to extricate shrapnel in his leg after being struck with explosives thrown by deputies. More video evidence depicts Stern getting carried by other protestors after the injury.
Meanwhile, the LASD claimed that at least ten deputies have sustained injuries in the protests so far, alleging that members have had rocks, bricks, concrete, molotov cocktails and commercial-grade fireworks thrown at them.
