Austin Police Release Bodycam Footage Following ICE Shooting of Venezuelan Migrant

The Austin Police Department on Tuesday made public body camera footage capturing the arrest of a 28-year-old Venezuelan immigrant who was shot by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers over the weekend. The incident involved Wilber Rafael Garces Perez and occurred as federal agents attempted to take him into custody.

Body Camera Footage Details Incident

Three distinct video clips released by local police document their response to the shooting of Garces Perez on Sunday. In one of the recordings, sounds resembling three gunshots can be heard. A subsequent clip shows an officer arriving at the scene, where Garces Perez is visible slumped in the driver's seat of his vehicle, appearing to clutch his left shoulder in discomfort.

Officers equipped with body cameras were seen assisting Garces Perez out of the vehicle, which counters assertions that federal agents forcibly removed him. Following his exit, he was placed under arrest. Another officer's voice is heard instructing someone to retrieve shears to cut Garces Perez's shirt, presumably to inspect his injuries.

An officer is heard asking in Spanish, "¿Tiene armas?" (Do you have weapons?), to which Garces Perez responds, "No." An officer then states, "He's got… looks like one gunshot wound so far."

Conflicting Accounts Emerge

Reports indicate that Garces Perez was in the process of delivering a DoorDash order when he executed a U-turn beneath a highway, after which ICE agents reportedly continued their pursuit. His attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, stated that an unmarked truck pursued her client and sideswiped his vehicle before he was shot.

Authorities confirmed that Garces Perez was subject to a final order of removal. However, Lincoln-Goldfinch contended that her client received this order after a court hearing notice was dispatched to an outdated address, despite his having previously updated his contact information with the court system.

Immigration Officials Respond to Allegations

ICE has publicly addressed various rumors circulating about the shooting and Garces Perez's legal standing. The agency noted that while his work permit is valid until 2025, holding such a permit does not grant legal status within the United States.

The agency also confirmed that Garces Perez was discharged from the hospital and transported to an ICE detention facility just hours later, where he was provided with a bed. ICE refuted claims that Garces Perez was targeted without cause.

"This individual, who is illegally present in the country, was the subject of a targeted vehicle stop. The criteria for immigration enforcement targeting is whether an individual is unlawfully in the U.S. Resisting officers and evading arrest poses risks to our officers, individuals unlawfully present, and the broader public. We remind the public that resisting officers and evading arrest constitutes both a felony and a federal crime. We urge politicians who support sanctuary policies to cease encouraging this dangerous behavior, which endangers both our officers and the public."