ICE agent shoots man in Austin, leaving him hospitalized and sparking a fast-growing protest and calls for an independent investigation, according to officials.
Local authorities said a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and wounded a man Sunday afternoon on Austin’s north side. The man was taken to a hospital in serious but stable condition after being struck once in the torso.
ICE agent shoots man during traffic stop
The Department of Homeland Security said the man was in stable condition and in federal custody pending removal. Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the FBI, is leading the review into what DHS described as an officer-involved shooting of a Venezuelan man who, according to the agency, had a final order of removal.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said city officers were not part of the operation or the shooting, which followed a traffic stop. She said there were few details available so soon after the incident but noted the department’s special investigations unit was on scene.
Mayor Kirk Watson said he wants Austin police to participate in the inquiry to provide what he called clear, third-party eyes. He added that a thorough investigation would bolster public confidence and said he did not believe it would be appropriate for ICE to investigate the shooting on its own.
Officials, family press for information
The Texas Department of Public Safety said ICE requested help with a vehicle pursuit at about 12:50 p.m. By the time troopers arrived, the shooting had already occurred, DPS said.
Attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, who represents the family, identified the wounded man as 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garces Perez of Venezuela. She initially said publicly that she believed he had no criminal history and no final order of removal, then later told The Associated Press she did not know his current immigration status. She said the family struggled to obtain information from the hospital about his condition and location.
Lincoln-Goldfinch later wrote that just before 7 p.m., the hospital’s attorney informed the man’s wife that he had been released into ICE custody a few hours earlier, adding, “No one bothered to update her.” It was not immediately clear whether he remained hospitalized while in ICE custody or had been transferred elsewhere.
Scene draws protesters and heavy police presence
A dark blue Toyota Corolla with damage to the passenger-side door and apparent bullet holes was parked under an overpass and later towed as traffic resumed. A sizable law enforcement presence remained as roughly a hundred protesters gathered. Some demonstrators shouted at officers holding riot shields, while others cheered as passing cars honked in support. One sign read, “Nobody is safe” on one side and “ICE Nazi” on the other.
Asked whether local officials knew the location of the federal agent involved, Mayor Watson said they did not, adding that he hoped the agent would not leave the city or the state following the shooting.
Calls for transparency and joint review
The office of Travis County District Attorney José Pompa Garza urged that local police and prosecutors be included in the investigation and requested federal cooperation to access evidence. U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, who represents parts of Austin, called for transparency, saying, “It is awful that this horror has come to our doorstep. For Austin to be safe, ICE should end its surge here.”
The shooting comes amid heightened ICE enforcement nationwide this summer, with the agency reporting more than 50,000 arrests a month in July and August, a first in its history. In July, an ICE officer fatally shot 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston after agents in unmarked vehicles pursued him while he drove a construction crew to a job site. Also in July, an ICE officer shot a 25-year-old Colombian man in Maine, an incident that drew scrutiny after relatives told reporters the officer, an Army veteran, had long struggled with severe mental health issues. The administration’s enforcement push also faced widespread criticism last winter following the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minnesota.
The administration’s enforcement push also faced widespread criticism last winter following the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minnesota, a case that drew comparisons to other high-profile prosecutions such as Christian Castro pleads not guilty in Minneapolis case.
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