Student injured during protest: attorney says USC freshman lost eye after projectile

Attorney says student was documenting protest when struck by federal agent’s less-lethal projectile

(CNN)- An attorney says a University of Southern California freshman lost his eye after being struck by a projectile fired by a federal agent during a protest in downtown Los Angeles.

Attorney V. James DeSimone said 18-year-old Tucker Collins was documenting a “No Kings” protest outside the Metropolitan Detention Center on March 28.

DeSimone said Collins was struck in the right eye by what he described as a less-lethal projectile fired by a Department of Homeland Security agent.

According to the attorney, a nurse at the protest initially treated Collins before he was taken to a hospital. Doctors were unable to save his eye, and it was later surgically removed.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that rioters threw rocks, bottles, and cement blocks at officers. The agency said seven warnings were issued before crowd control measures were used.

DeSimone said Collins was not participating in violence and was only documenting the protest at the time he was injured.

The attorney said he plans to file a federal tort claim next week, which is the first step toward filing a lawsuit.