Bodycam Footage Released Following ICE Shooting of Venezuelan Migrant in Austin

The Austin Police Department released body camera footage on Tuesday showing the arrest of 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, who was shot by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers over the weekend. The footage includes three videos detailing the local police response to the incident that occurred on Sunday as ICE officers attempted to take Garces Perez into custody. In one video, three gunshots can be heard. Another clip shows an officer arriving at the scene, where Garces Perez is seen sitting in the driver’s seat of his vehicle, appearing to hold his left shoulder in pain. Officers assisted him out of the vehicle and placed him under arrest, contradicting claims that he was pulled out by agents. An officer is heard asking if Garces Perez has any firearms and noting that he has a gunshot wound. Garces Perez was reportedly delivering a DoorDash order when he made a U-turn under a highway, prompting ICE agents to pursue him. His attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, claimed that an unmarked truck chased her client and sideswiped his vehicle before he was shot. Authorities confirmed that Garces Perez had a final order of removal but Lincoln-Goldfinch stated that he received this order after a hearing notice was sent to an outdated address, despite him having updated his address with the court. ICE disputed claims regarding Garces Perez’s legal status, noting that his work permit is valid until 2025 but does not confer legal status in the U.S. The agency also stated that Garces Perez was released from the hospital and arrived at an ICE detention facility shortly after, where he slept on a bed. ICE denied allegations that Garces Perez was indiscriminately targeted, stating that he was the subject of a targeted vehicle stop and that resisting officers and evading arrest is a felony and a federal crime.