She said doctors found a piece of metal 7 millimeters from her nephew's artery, which they did not want to remove because they feared it could kill him.
A protester in Santa Ana., Calif. was left permanently blinded in one eye after being shot at close range with non-lethal ammunition by a Department of Homeland Security agent last week, according to his family.
Jeri Rees told The Los Angeles Times that her nephew, 21, could have died in the incident, for which he underwent six hours of surgery.
"For the next six weeks, he can't sneeze or cough because it could do a lot of damage," she told the outlet.
While operating, doctors discovered plastic, glass and metal in his eyes and face. They also found metal 7 millimeters from his carotid artery, which they did not want to remove out of concern that to do so could be fatal, she said.
Rees told the Times her nephew's skull was fractured in the incident, during which the agent fired their weapon just feet from her nephew, who is transitioning and uses he/him pronouns, she said.
She also claimed that the officers did not immediately call paramedics after he was struck, and instead pressed his face into a pool of blood.
"The other officers were mocking him, saying, 'You're going to lose your eye,' " she said her nephew told her.
The Friday, Jan. 9, incident was captured on video. In one clip shared by ABC7's Abigail Velez, a trio of agents approaches a group of people protesting outside of the Santa Ana federal building. When one of the agents tries to grab a protester by the arms and take them into custody, the others try to stop him.
One protester runs up to the agents while carrying a bullhorn before they appear to be struck in the face, then fall to their knees.
They remain there before an agent grabs them from behind and drags them across the ground. At one point, the protester’s bloodied face is clearly visible as they’re pulled into the doors of the building.
The Times reported that another video appeared to show the protester lying on the ground and bleeding while inside the building. Agents fired what seemed to be pepper balls at a person trying to record the scene, the outlet reported.
Connor Atwood, a member of social justice organization Dare to Struggle, told the Times that they had gathered at around 6:30 p.m. local time on Friday for a demonstration put together by another organization after taking part in a Dare to Struggle event earlier in the afternoon.
Atwood said the situation intensified outside of the federal building as the protest began to wrap up, but maintained that the group did not try and get closer to the building or attempt to enter it. While Atwood said some demonstrators eventually left, Dare to Struggle encouraged its members to stay, after which some protesters started burning an American flag.
Atwood said Skye Jones, who is a leader of Dare to Struggle’s Orange County chapter, was arrested and another protester was struck in the eye around 8:30 p.m. local time.
While Atwood said the agents had emerged from the building multiple times throughout the night, the escalation was unexpected.
"It wasn't just completely out of nowhere, but it was very sudden," Atwood said.
When reached for comment by PEOPLE, a DHS spokesperson said, "On January 9th, a mob of about 60 rioters threw rocks, bottles and fireworks at law enforcement officers outside the federal building in Santa Ana. Two officers were injured."
"Two violent rioters were arrested and were charged with assault on federal officer and disorderly conduct. This was a highly coordinated campaign of violence where rioters wielded shields," they said. "One of the rioters, who was arrested for disorderly conduct, was taken to the hospital for a cut and was released that night."
The spokesperson continued, "Make no mistake rioting and assaulting law enforcement is not only dangerous but a crime," before adding, "Secretary Noem has been clear: Any rioter who obstructs or assaults law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
The Friday protests came days after Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Jan. 7. Good had been returning from dropping off her 6-year-old son at school and was driving home with her current partner when the couple came across a group of ICE agents, Good’s ex-husband told The Associated Press last week.
Multiple bystander videos showed Good reversing her Honda Pilot as ICE agents tried to open her car door. She then moved the car forward and to the right as an agent -- who was identified as Jonathan Ross -- opened fire through her windshield and then twice through her open car window.
The Trump administration claimed Ross had been acting in self defense in the shooting, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused Good of "domestic terrorism," but Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said that the White House's version of events is "bulls---," and warned ICE last week to "get the f--- out" of Minneapolis.