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Live Sketch Artist Used Her Drawing Board to Shield Herself From ICE Ammunition

By Emma Taggart on February 2, 2026

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Mixed-media artist Isabelle Brourman creates art live in public spaces, sketching courtrooms and protests in real time. She’s been an official sketch artist in high-profile American trials including Depp v. Heard, and The People v. Donald Trump. Recently, Brourman faced her most challenging setting yet on the streets of Minneapolis on January 24, at the scene where Alex Pretti was tragically shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

Amid the chaos, Brourman stood with her drawing board, paper, pencils, and pens, working quickly to capture the events unfolding around her. A shocking video posted online shows Brourman being randomly shot at by a federal agent, unprovoked. Luckily, she was able to protect her face by instinctively raising her drawing board as a shield, which was punctured by the ammunition. The completed drawing is a flurry of figures and words, capturing the horrors of that day.

“Federal officers responded by tirelessly deploying chemical agents and flash-bang grenades for hours against those continuing to protest them, escalating an already grievous and traumatic scene into one of impulsive violence,” recalled Brourman. “At the end, ICE retreated and then the state troopers did as well. The people filled the streets, banging their signs down and chanting, mourning, and calling out ICE, demanding an end to the federal occupation.”

Brourman’s challenging work is part of Starring America, an independent press collective that takes to the streets to document the reality of life in the U.S. through sketches and portraits.

Check out the video below, plus some of Brourman’s incredible live art.