Photographer sues Minneapolis after being blinded in one eye during protests

A federal lawsuit says Linda Tirado was hit by a foam bullet that shattered her goggles

Linda Tirado sues the city of Minneapolis
Linda Tirado, a freelance photographer, has sued the city of Minneapolis, its police chief and state officials, after being hit by a foam bullet during protests on May 29, 2020.
Courtesy of Linda Tirado

A freelance journalist who was blinded in one eye while covering the protests and rioting in Minneapolis is suing police.

Photographer Linda Tirado of Nashville, Tenn., says she lost sight in her left eye after Minneapolis police shot her in the face with a foam bullet. The impact shattered her safety goggles.

In a federal lawsuit filed last week, Tirado said she was struck May 29 after stepping in front of protesters to take a picture of police. Protesters took her to a hospital, where she underwent emergency surgery.

The lawsuit names the city of Minneapolis, Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington, State Patrol commander Col. Matt Langer and Minneapolis police union president Bob Kroll.

Tirado said she wore a press credential around her neck that clearly identified her as a journalist.

In a statement, Minneapolis police spokesperson John Elder said an officer may have fired a marking round at Tirado.

Correction (March 18, 2022): The photo caption in this story misstated that Tirado was blinded in her right eye. The above copy is correct and the caption has been updated.

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