Full Breakdown
ICE Officer Shoots Delivery Driver in Austin, Body Camera Not Used
By Drooid · · How we work
Incident Overview
- Who: Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan who was working as a DoorDash delivery driver.
- What: He was shot in the back during a traffic stop; the bullet remains lodged near his spine.
- When: The shooting occurred on a recent Sunday.
- Where: North Austin, after a brief vehicle pursuit that ended when an unmarked SUV sideswiped his blue Toyota Camry.
- How: An ICE officer fired despite Garces Perez’s request to stop somewhere safer. The officer was not wearing a body-camera; another officer’s camera did not capture the shooting.
Background on ICE Body-Camera Policy
- The lack of footage follows earlier fatal shootings, including the July 7 killing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, which intensified calls for body-camera use.
- Acting ICE Director David Venturella noted that officers involved in a Houston shooting had no body-worn or dashboard cameras.
- DHS announced in a July 12 statement that body cameras had been sent to more than half of field offices, with the remainder to be delivered within the next 60 days. Secretary Markwayne Mullin later said the agency expected to equip all field officers by the end of September.
Official Statements & Responses
- U.S. Rep. Greg Casar said Garces Perez needs surgery, describing him in a wheelchair with his left arm in a sling, heavy torso bruising, and debilitating left-side pain.
- DHS characterized the incident as a “dangerous attempt to evade arrest,” stressing that resisting officers is a felony and a federal crime.
- The shooting officer has not been publicly identified, and DHS did not explain why the body camera was off.
Legal and Medical Follow-up
- Garces Perez received an injection of pain medication one hour before a news conference and saw a specialist who recommended surgery; medical staff clean his wound two to three times daily.
- His attorneys have filed a petition to block deportation and secure his release from ICE detention. A federal judge scheduled a hearing for the end of September in San Antonio.