DC Officer Suffers Vision Loss from Rioter's Laser Attack

The DC Police Union is reporting that one of the city's officers was rushed to the hospital with vision loss after being attacked with a laser by a rioter. According to the union, six officers have been hospitalized for injuries since Thursday night.

Five people were arrested overnight in clashes with law enforcement in downtown Washington — including a pair who D.C. police said assaulted officers, the Washington Post reports.

Officials said rioters ignited fireworks, set small fires and threw projectiles including bricks, glass and smoke grenades at officers in the area around Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House, and officers responded with sting balls and tear gas.

The confrontations were the latest to transpire near the White House, where protesters have been gathering for weeks to protest racial injustice since the death of George Floyd.

Police records indicate that since last Monday, 15 people, ranging from ages 18 to 53 have been arrested, including the five overnight. Of the 15, nearly half were charged with assault on a police officer, authorities said.