A man sustained injuries following a shooting involving a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer near the intersection of U.S. 183 and Anderson Square in North Austin. The incident occurred shortly before 1 p.m. on Sunday.
The injured individual has been identified as 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, according to his attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch.
Witnesses from a nearby business reported hearing two gunshots and quickly went to investigate. One witness described encountering an ICE agent and a man in a car who had been shot in the back. The witness inquired whether an ambulance had been summoned, to which the agent responded affirmatively.
An ambulance arrived shortly thereafter, and the man was transported to Dell Seton Medical Center, where he was reported to be in stable condition. His attorney indicated that he was subsequently released from the hospital into ICE custody.
In the hours following the shooting, a protest emerged at the scene. Police responded to the demonstration, deploying chemical agents to disperse the crowd. Authorities departed the area around 6 p.m., although many protesters remained.
During a news conference at City Hall, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson emphasized that the Austin Police Department was not involved in the shooting. Expressing his anger over the incident, he noted that it was not surprising given the current conduct of ICE operations.
Watson urged for the involvement of the Austin Police Department in the investigation to ensure an impartial examination of the circumstances surrounding the shooting. “This has happened in the city of Austin, and the city of Austin deserves answers on what occurred,” he stated. “We’re going to get all those questions answered and we’re going to be as transparent as we can be,” added Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis.
ICE has yet to provide information regarding the shooting incident. This year, federal immigration agents have been involved in shootings in various cities, including Houston, Minneapolis, and Biddeford, Maine.
“This is a pattern. This is a disturbing pattern,” remarked U.S. Representative Greg Casar, who represents portions of Austin.
This story is still developing.
