An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and seriously wounded a man in Austin on Sunday, prompting a tense standoff, clashes between protesters and police, and calls from a Democratic congressman for an independent investigation.
The confrontation began shortly before 1 p.m. beneath an overpass in north Austin. Preliminary information from local officials indicates that the ICE agent became involved in a traffic stop before a brief foot pursuit unfolded.
Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 29, was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound to his torso. His attorney identified him as a Venezuelan national. Officials said he was in serious but stable condition.
Exclusive photos from Our News Outlet showed a small blue Toyota sedan beneath the overpass, its passenger-side door marked by multiple bullet holes and the vehicle surrounded by police tape.
Witnesses told NPR affiliate KUT that they heard gunfire and saw an ICE agent near a man who appeared to have been shot in the back.
Authorities have not independently confirmed that account, emphasizing that the investigation remains in its early stages.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the episode may have included a foot pursuit but cautioned that investigators had only limited information. Austin police also made clear that none of their officers fired the shots.
People who witnessed the scene told Our News Outlet that Perez ran from the vehicle after it came to a stop and was then shot.
Austin police faced a standoff Sunday evening with protesters throwing rocks after Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a Venezuelan man, was shot—allegedly in the back—by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer
Exclusive photos from Our News Outlet showed the small blue Toyota sedan Perez had been traveling in, with bullet holes across the passenger-side door after the reported ICE pursuit
Witnesses told Our News Outlet that the man, reportedly a Venezuelan immigrant without legal status in the United States, fled on foot after his car stopped and was later shot
Austin Council member Mike Siegel said at least one person in civilian clothing, who appeared to be uninjured, was handcuffed at the scene.
The shooting quickly sparked outrage across the Texas capital. By evening, protesters—many carrying Mexican flags—had gathered on one side of the overpass, chanting “F*** ICE” and demanding to know whether the ICE agent involved had been arrested.
Some demonstrators threw rocks and water bottles at Austin police officers in riot gear. Police responded by firing pepper balls into the crowd.
At one point, protesters confronted officers positioned behind protective shields. Local reports said police also deployed chemical agents to disperse the crowd.
The unrest unfolded as questions intensified about the federal operation, including why Perez was shot. His attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, told media outlets that Perez is married to a woman who has legal status in the United States.
Democratic Representative Greg Casar called for an independent investigation and urged authorities to release body-camera footage immediately.
“As the facts emerge, I am demanding a full, independent investigation, immediate release of the body camera footage, and accountability for any ICE officer who broke the law,” Casar said in a statement reported by CBS News.
Casar also said, “Over and over, ICE has shot people and then lied about what happened,” citing the fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis earlier this year.
Chief Davis said local investigators were at the scene and coordinating with federal authorities. Mayor Kirk Watson said Austin police should play a role in determining what happened
Watson said he wanted a ‘clear-eyed, third-party look’ at the shooting while Democratic representative Greg Casar called for accountability for any ICE officer found to have broken the law.
By Sunday afternoon, dozens of protesters gathered close to the scene, with demonstrators shouting anti-ICE slogans as police maintained a heavy presence around the area
At one point, demonstrators confronted police behind protective shields. Local reporting said officers used chemical agents to disperse the crowd
The incident comes amid an expanded federal immigration enforcement campaign and follows other shootings involving immigration agents this year. In July, an ICE officer fatally shot 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston after federal agents attempted to stop a vehicle, yet Salgado Araujo was not the target of the warrant the agents were attempting to execute
The congressman’s comments came as local officials repeatedly emphasized that many details of Sunday’s shooting were still preliminary.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson also called for local police to have a role in the investigation, saying he wanted a third-party examination of the incident rather than having ICE investigate itself.
At a press conference that took place earlier today, Watson said Perez was in serious but stable condition.
The incident has already drawn comparisons with other recent Texas shootings involving federal immigration agents, including the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston in July. That case remains under investigation.
‘This is a pattern. This is a disturbing pattern,’ said Casar.
Federal authorities had not released a full account of the encounter as of Sunday evening, nor have they identified the agent involved.
It also remains unclear whether the federal officer in question has remained in Austin. Mayor Watson said he hoped that an agent involved in an officer-involved shooting would not leave the city or state while the investigation was underway.
This is a developing story, more to come.
