A 21-year-old university student has been left permanently blinded in one eye after being struck at close range by a projectile fired by a federal officer during a protest in Southern California.
Violent Clash at Immigration Building
The incident occurred on Friday, 15 January 2026, outside a federal immigration building in Santa Ana. The demonstration was held in response to the death of Renee Good in Minneapolis, which had sparked nationwide protests.
Hundreds of people initially marched before a smaller group remained by evening, shouting expletives and burning what appeared to be an American flag while chanting "Justice for Renee Good." The group moved onto the building's plaza, where a small number of agents in riot gear were stationed.
Video footage shows officers forcibly pushing a protester back and later beginning to fire crowd-control munitions as they advanced. This escalation occurred after an orange traffic cone rolled onto the plaza, though it remains unclear how it got there.
Protester Struck and Dragged Away
The injured demonstrator, identified by his aunt as 21-year-old Kaden Rummler, is seen on video shouting through a megaphone. Officers approached the crowd and grabbed another protester, Katelyn Skye Seitz, pulling them onto the steps.
In response, Rummler and others stepped forward. An officer then fired a crowd-control weapon from several feet away, striking Rummler in the face. He immediately grabbed his face and fell to the ground.
The video shows an officer grabbing Rummler by the shirt and dragging him backwards across the ground as his face bled and other demonstrators shouted, "leave him alone." Officers later took him into the federal building, where he was seen face down and being handcuffed.
Severe Injuries and Official Response
Rummler's aunt, Jeri Rees, stated that her nephew was hospitalised for two days and underwent six hours of surgery on his left eye. He suffered skull fractures and a hole in his eyeball.
"He's completely blind in that eye," Rees said. "There's a hole in his eyeball." Doctors are still working to identify fragments in the wound to determine if further surgery is needed.
In a statement read at a Tuesday news conference, Rummler said, "I will never see through my left eye again, not even light. I'm just glad I'm alive to tell my story." He was given a citation for disorderly conduct.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not specify what type of projectiles were fired, though another protester said they were pepper balls. Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary for the department, labelled the group "violent rioters" and said two officers were injured. Two protesters were arrested and charged with assault on a federal officer and disorderly conduct.
A federal complaint alleges Seitz, who identifies as Skye Jones, failed to leave the property and threw an orange cone at officers, then resisted arrest and struck an officer. The U.S. Attorney's Office did not immediately provide details on the second set of charges.
