Anti-ICE protester files lawsuit against LAPD after officer fired 40mm round, shattering his jaw

Protester speaks after being shot in face by LAPD

An anti-ICE protester is speaking out months after he was shot in the face by an LAPD officer during a rally in downtown LA. 

LOS ANGELES - Yet another protester is speaking with FOX 11 after being shot in the face during anti-ice protests. 

Atlachinolli Tezcacoatl was at an anti-ice rally in Downtown Los Angeles last summer when he was hit by a 40 mm less than lethal round shot by an LAPD officer.

The impact shattered his jaw. Tezcacoatl has filed a lawsuit, requesting damages for his injuries.

What they're saying:

In the body-worn camera images released by the department last year, officials say the crowd was unruly, throwing fireworks and water bottles at the officers. 

Tezcacoatl's attorney, V James De Simone, says his client was targeted. "He was holding a water bottle in one hand, a phone getting video on the other, with his hands up!"

Texacacoatl says he's had two surgeries so far to repair his shattered jaw, explaining he has a long medical recovery ahead of him. Still, he insists he'd do it again, as he strongly believes in his "duty and right" to protest the ongoing ICE detentions.

SUGGESTED: Man speaks out after losing sight in one eye during anti-ICE protest in Santa Ana

"At that moment I still really didn't know the impact of the injury because I was angry at the fact that they were doing, to the people, shooting these indiscriminately," Tezcacoatl said. 

Tezcacoatl also developed glaucoma in his left eye and suffered chest and nasal injuries, the lawsuit states.

Dig deeper:

The incident is being investigated, but LAPD just ordered its officers to stop using the 40 mm less than lethal weapons during protests, after a federal judge found the department was in contempt of a previous ruling that limited their use and ordered a ban on them for crowd-control purposes. 

US District Judge Consuelo Marshall issued the order, writing that there was evidence LAPD officers violated their previous restrictions on the use of weapons last summer during the rallies against immigration enforcement. 

What's next:

Tezcacoatl's suit alleges civil rights violations, assault and battery, negligence and both intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress. He seeks unspecified damages.