“People came over to help and got me on the curb. A medic was called, who cut off my clothes. In my leg was what felt like a five centimeter hole with muscle hanging out of it and blood all down my leg. The medic put a tourniquet on it, and a journalist I was with took me to ER.”
This is America.
Raising a shield would be defending.
Retaliation is not defending.
Hurting random people because someone threw a rock is not defending.
Shooting a peaceful journalist is not defending.