Rudy Huallpa Cayo, a journalist with local television station Telecultura 7, lost his left eye after being hit by a rubber bullet while covering a protest on April 1, 2014, in the province of Melgar, according to news reports.
Huallpa was covering a demonstration by residents who were protesting the delay in finishing the construction of a local hospital. Huallpa told local reporters that when he started photographing officers launching tear gas and rubber bullets, “a police officer, seeing I was taking photographs, shot me on purpose.” He said he was wearing a vest that clearly identified him as a member of the press.
Huallpa was taken to a local hospital for medical treatment and later transferred to Lima for further medical attention.
The local prosecutor’s office and the police chief said they would launch an investigation into the attack, according to news reports. Local authorities also pledged to provide economic support for the journalist’s medical treatment, according to the reports.