What happened at the protest
Video from a demonstration in Santa Ana shows a tense moment when federal agents in riot gear tried to detain a person on steps outside a federal building. A 21 year old named Kaden Rummler stepped forward with others and used a megaphone to protest. At one point an officer fired a crowd control projectile that struck Rummler in the face. He fell to the ground bleeding and later said he will be blind in his left eye and has skull fractures and foreign debris embedded near his eye. The footage is raw and messy. It is clear people were shouting and closing distance on officers when the projectile was fired.
Who is to blame
Blame is not complicated here. The immediate cause of the injury was the projectile striking a man at close range. That does not mean responsibility rests only with officers. The video shows protesters advancing toward officers at a spot where agents were holding position. When you step in front of an officer who is detaining someone you increase the risk of force being used. That is not sympathy for violence. It is a reminder that choices have consequences. If you rush a line of agents carrying crowd control weapons you are choosing to take the risk that comes with it. Encouraging such behavior and treating it as a heroic stunt is reckless.
What about a lawsuit
Rummler and his family will likely try legal action. But civil claims are an uphill climb when the injured party approached officers and complicated the detention. Courts consider whether the person provoked or contributed to the encounter. Video showing a protester closing distance and interfering with an arrest makes it hard to argue the use of force was entirely without context. That does not mean government officers are above the law. It means facts matter and plaintiffs who put themselves in danger will face credibility and causation questions in court.
A warning for future demonstrations
Public protest is a protected right. Tactical thinking is not optional. If your goal is to protest and persuade you do not gain sympathy by charging officers and getting injured. You risk life changing harm and weaken your cause. Organizers should prepare safe distances, legal observers, and clear rules for participants. If you find yourself drawing cheers by testing federal lines remember that applause does not fix a lost eye.
This kid charged at federal agents to try and stop them from arresting his friend.
If you don't want to get smoked by a rubber bullet, you probably shouldn't do things like that.pic.twitter.com/LXrccUUUGJ https://t.co/zfXG4ycsUC
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 15, 2026
21-year-old activist injured by ICE:
I will be blind for life. I have fractures in my skull that they can't fix. I can't sneeze or cough because it's dangerous to. They pulled a piece of plastic the size of a nickel out of my eye. I had shards of metal, glass, and plastic behind… pic.twitter.com/hlUBppcrMq
— FactPost (@factpostnews) January 15, 2026
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JIMMY
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