Shocking footage has captured the moment LA police shot a British photographer in the head with a rubber bullet as the city was rocked by violent riots on Sunday evening.

Father-of-two Toby Canham, who was on assignment for the New York Post, was filming videos of the chaos from an elevated level when a California Highway Patrol officer suddenly fired at him, leaving him with a severe head wound.

Disturbing footage taken by Canham captured the moment he was struck in the forehead, which caused him to fall to the ground.

'F**k, f**k, I just got shot in the head!' the photographer can be heard screaming from behind the camera.

Just moments before he was struck, Canham's video showed a police officer positioning himself behind a pillar.