SEATTLE — A woman has come forward to share her experience after being injured by a police officer during a Seattle protest.
Nikita Tarver was shot in the eye by a rubber bullet on May 30 during a police accountability rally.
“I screamed in sheer terror," said Tarver. "I didn't even know that could come out of a 5-foot-3 person. And I mean sheer terror."
She has had surgery on her eye and may need another surgery.
Her attorney James Bible said police need to stop using military responses, like rubber bullets, against people.
Another man, Mondo Avery, said he was standing with his 7-year-old son at the protest on May 30 when they were hit by mace.
The aftermath was caught on video and went viral. Tarver's attorney said the person who took the video was later arrested by police "on trumped-up charges."
“I felt something hit my face," said Avery. "I felt it hit me, but I really didn’t notice it. It didn't really hit me until I heard my son screaming, and I looked down, and that's when I felt it in my eyes, and I could see it all over my son. And my son's screaming and I'm trying just to get him back as far as I could."
A U.S. judge has temporarily banned the Seattle Police Department from using chemical weapons, such as tear gas, pepper spray, and flash-bangs on protesters until Sept. 30, 2020.
The order also bans other projectiles like pepper balls, blast balls, rubber bullets, and foam-tip projectiles.
The order does allow police officers to take action against protesters, including using tear gas, if there is an "imminent" threat to life, safety or destruction of property and other crowd control measures were taken but not effective, according to the court order.
