ICE Shooting in Austin Sparks Protests and Calls for Investigation
Democrats demand independent probe into incident involving an ICE agent and a Venezuelan national, as clashes erupt between protesters and police.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and seriously wounded a man in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, an incident that led to a standoff, clashes with police, and demands from a Democratic congressman for an independent investigation. The confrontation occurred beneath an overpass in north Austin before 1 p.m. after the federal agent became involved in a traffic stop and a brief foot pursuit, according to preliminary accounts from local officials.
The injured man, identified by his attorney as 29-year-old Venezuelan national Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, was transported to a hospital with a gunshot wound to his torso and was reported to be in serious but stable condition.
Photos from the scene show a small blue Toyota sedan with bullet holes on its passenger-side door, surrounded by police tape. Witnesses told local NPR affiliate KUT that they heard gunshots and saw an ICE agent alongside a man who appeared to have been shot. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis stated that the incident may have involved a foot pursuit but emphasized that authorities had limited information and the investigation was ongoing. Austin police confirmed that their officers did not fire the shots.
Onlookers told the Daily Mail that the man exited his vehicle on foot after it came to a stop and was subsequently shot.
At least one person in civilian clothes who appeared uninjured was taken into handcuffs at the scene, according to Austin Council member Mike Siegel.
Protests Erupt Over Shooting
The shooting quickly drew anger in Austin. As evening approached, a crowd of protesters gathered near the overpass, chanting anti-ICE slogans and questioning whether the involved ICE agent had been arrested. Some demonstrators began throwing rocks and water bottles at riot police, who responded with pepper balls. At one point, protesters confronted officers behind protective shields, and local reports indicated that chemical agents were used to disperse the crowd.
Calls for Accountability
Democratic Rep. Greg Casar, who represents Austin, called for a full, independent investigation and the immediate release of body-camera footage. "Over and over, ICE has shot people and then lied about what happened," Casar said in a statement, referencing a previous fatal shooting in Minneapolis.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson also advocated for local police to be involved in the investigation, seeking a third-party review rather than allowing ICE to investigate itself. He reiterated that Perez was in serious but stable condition.
The incident has drawn comparisons to other recent shootings involving federal immigration agents in Texas, including a fatal shooting in Houston in July that remains under investigation. "This is a pattern. This is a disturbing pattern," Casar stated.
Federal authorities had not released a full account of the encounter or identified the agent involved as of Sunday evening. Mayor Watson expressed hope that the agent involved would not leave the city or state while the investigation is pending.