Crime & Safety

Lakewood Man Struck With Projectile During Protests, Loses Eye

A 35-year-old man from Lakewood has had to undergo eye removal surgery after he was injured in the Denver protests, Fox 31 reported.

Thousands of protesters have marched in downtown Denver every night since the news of George Floyd's death broke.
Thousands of protesters have marched in downtown Denver every night since the news of George Floyd's death broke. (Photo by Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)

LAKEWOOD, CO — While many protesters have reported injuries during clashes with Denver police, a Lakewood man was struck so hard by a projectile Saturday that his eye had to be surgically removed, according to Fox 31, which first reported the story. The 35-year-old protester remembers hearing a loud bang, and then being severely injured.

“I’m not dead like George Floyd, you know what I mean? I’m not dead like so many others who have been brutalized by police,” Russell Strong told Fox 31.

“For me, if there is a recognizable change in our justice, if there is reform at a level where we can see that these type of situations happen far less, or there’s more accountability, then I will be able to feel like I lost an eye for a good reason.”

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Every night since the news broke about George Floyd's death, thousands of protesters have marched in downtown Denver, demanding justice. Dozens of rally-goers — and police officers — have reported injuries in the clashes.

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