London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jun 23, 2026

An 18-Year-Old Protester Said Her Teeth Were Knocked Out After Police Were Filmed Punching Her In The Face

An 18-Year-Old Protester Said Her Teeth Were Knocked Out After Police Were Filmed Punching Her In The Face

Miracle Boyd said she was already leaving the protest to go home and eat when she saw police beating and macing people. So she started filming them, and that's when an officer punched her.

A Chicago police officer was caught on tape punching an 18-year-old woman in the face, causing her to lose several teeth, during a protest organized by Black and Indigenous youth on Friday night.

The woman, Miracle Boyd, is a member of the Chicago social activist group GoodKids MadCity, which tweeted a video of the incident.

Boyd told BuzzFeed News that she had finished delivering a speech to a group of protesters in Grant Park and was leaving to go home and eat when she heard the loud bangs of fireworks being set off. She headed in the direction of the sound and started recording a livestream on Facebook.


Boyd said her mouth hurt "tremendously" after being attacked.

"I felt that my tooth was gone and I felt like I was going fucking crazy," she said, especially because she was already conscious that she had a gap between her two front teeth. "This happened in like five minutes - from me saying I'm leaving to me getting my teeth knocked out."

Boyd said some of the comments on her video accuse her of "being the aggressor" because she was shouting at police, but she said that has "never once swung at a police officer [or] threw anything at a police officer."

All she did was shout at them as she recorded, she said, and even then it was an officer she wasn't addressing who assaulted her.

A photo of Boyd that GoodKids MadCity tweeted showed her crying with a bleeding mouth, and some of her teeth missing and broken.


Boyd said she has been involved in activism for the past three years, from protesting gun violence to advocating for more funding for schools in Black and brown neighborhoods in Chicago.

She graduated from high school last month, and had been offered an internship with state Sen. Robert Peters' office just last week, Peters said in a tweet.

"I'm sad, angry, and disgusted," he wrote.

The photo of her after the attack has been widely shared online, and many expressed outrage over what happened.




A verified GoFundMe to support the cost of Boyd's medical expenses has raised more than $80,000 so far. Boyd said she's grateful for the help, but she doesn't want the focus to be on her.

"I don't want this to be about me because this is a fight we're all fighting and I'm not doing this alone," she said. "There is seriously things wrong within the Black and brown community that needs to change and I'm going to do everything in power to make sure my people are good."

Witnesses reported that protesters, some of whom were trying to take down the Christopher Columbus statue, were pepper-sprayed and beaten with wooden batons by police. At least a dozen people were arrested, according to NBC Chicago.




Video also showed protesters being pushed off bikes and thrown to the ground by police.


Chicago police told BuzzFeed News that they have opened an investigation into the incident involving Boyd.

"The Chicago Police Department (CPD) strives to treat all individuals our officers encounter with respect," they said. "We do not tolerate misconduct of any kind and if any wrongdoing is discovered, officers will be held accountable."

The officer has not been publicly identified. The department told CNN that 18 officers were injured after being attacked with rocks and fireworks.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Saturday that she had spoken to the director of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability to address complaints from protesters, and acknowledged "several reports of excessive force by the police" on Friday night.

Lightfoot's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Taxpayer Support Grows for Higher Digital Levies on Multinational Tech Companies
Bank of England Signals Caution Over Inflation Despite Easing Energy Prices
Lloyds Banking Group Expands Artificial Intelligence Hiring Amid Sector-Wide Automation Shift
Film Producer Corporate Collapse Leaves Creditors Facing Unrecoverable Losses
UK Ten-Year Brexit Anniversary Highlights Ongoing Political and Economic Uncertainty
Nottingham Maternity Scandal Inquiry Reveals Systemic Failings in NHS Care
Met Office Heatwave Prompts Public Health Warnings Across United Kingdom
Concerns Rise Over Fiscal Stability as Political Uncertainty Weighs on UK Borrowing Costs
UK Taxpayers Back Higher Digital Taxes on Global Technology Firms, Survey Shows
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates Steady Amid Persistent Services Inflation
Reform UK and Opposition Leaders Call for General Election Following Starmer’s Departure
Ten Years After Brexit Referendum, UK Faces Ongoing Political Fragmentation and Economic Debate
Nottingham University Hospitals Maternity Inquiry Exposes Severe NHS Failures
Met Office Issues Heat Health Alerts as United Kingdom Faces Record-Breaking Temperatures
Andy Burnham Emerges as Front-Runner for Labour Leadership After Starmer’s Resignation
Keir Starmer Resigns as UK Enters New Phase of Political Leadership Transition
UK Expands Alcohol Ban Enforcement Using Tagging Technology Ahead of World Cup
UK Invests £50 Million in Critical Minerals Supply Chain Security
UK Appoints Special Envoy on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict
UK Introduces Fines for Landlords of Unsafe Rental Properties
Reform UK Leads Opinion Polls as Immigration Debate Reshapes UK Politics
Police Investigate Edinburgh Attacks as Potential Hate Crimes
King Charles to Publish Personal Tax and Royal Household Financial Records
Nottingham University Hospitals Maternity Inquiry Report Set for Publication
Heat-Health Alerts Issued Across London and Southern England Amid Rising Temperatures
UK Economy Shows Pressure From Middle East Conflict Despite Modest Growth
Brexit Anniversary Reignites Debate Over UK Economic and Political Direction
UK Parliament Continues Legislative Work Amid Leadership Transition
Financial Markets Hold Steady After UK Leadership Shake-Up
Andy Burnham Enters Labour Leadership Race With Strong Parliamentary Backing
Keir Starmer Resigns as UK Prime Minister After Two Years in Office
Reform UK MP Lee Anderson to Raise Pension Concerns Over British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme
UK Parliament to Debate Newborn Screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy Following Public Petition
Met Office Warns of Water Safety Risks During Heatwave as Temperatures Peak in England
Treasury Increases Mileage Allowance Payments for 2026–27 Tax Year to 55 Pence Per Mile
UK Government Raises Electricity Generator Levy to 55 Percent in New Revenue Measure
House of Lords Moves Financial Services and Markets Bill to Committee Stage Amid Regulatory Scrutiny
Westminster Hall to Debate Petition on Pro-Israel Influence in UK Politics
UK Parliament Prepares for Estimates Days Debates as Backbench Business Schedule Approved
Armed Forces Bill Nears Final Stages in UK House of Commons With Military Justice Reforms
Donald Trump Comments on UK Political Situation, Citing Immigration and Energy Policy Concerns
Andy Burnham By-Election Victory Fuels Speculation Over Potential Labour Leadership Contest
UK Economy Shows Resilience but Faces Headwinds from Middle East Tensions, UK Finance Says
UK Parliament Opens Week of Debates on Net Zero, Security and Armed Forces Reform
Met Office Issues Amber Extreme Heat Warning as Temperatures Expected to Reach 35C Across England and Wales
Prime Minister Keir Starmer Faces Mounting Leadership Pressure After Makerfield By-Election Defeat
London Hotel Wins World’s Best Afternoon Tea Award at International Hospitality Guide La Liste
Court of Appeal Rules in Favour of Competition and Markets Authority in Phenytoin Drug Case
Chichester Waste Site Suspended After Environment Agency Finds Serious Fire and Pollution Risks
UK Appoints Chris Elmore as Special Envoy on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict
×