Dallas Man Loses Left Eye After Police Shoot Him With Sponge Round During Peaceful Protest

A Dallas man lost his eye after being shot in the face by “non-lethal” sponge rounds during a peaceful protest.

Whether we march peacefully, riot, or loot, the end result is almost always the same: Police use unnecessary force. Millions have taken to the streets to protest the killing of #GeorgeFloyd and police brutality. While marching in Dallas, Brandon Saenz, 26, says all he “heard was boom,” and he was “hit.” “I put my hands up, put my hand on my eye, and then I took off running,” he added of his interaction with the police.

Saenz said he did nothing to bring on the violence inflicted on him. The sponge round that was shot at him hit him in his left eye, which he has now lost, according to his legal team. “The Dallas Police Department (DPD) has been made aware of two use-of-force possibly involving members of the police force,” said the Dallas Police Department in a statement shared with PEOPLE. “According to intel, both occurred on Sunday, May 31 on Main Street” which DPD says were at different times, “As a result, two individuals were seriously injured, requiring hospitalization and surgery.” The statement continued: “We are currently waiting for the victims to recover in order to garner all the facts surrounding these incidents.”

“We take these matters very seriously. Rest assured, there will be a full investigation, and we will continue to keep the public informed on the status of the investigations,” said the statement. Officers are asking for anyone with “information, photo and video” of the incidents to get in touch with their internal Affairs Division at [email protected] or call 214-671-3986