Full Breakdown
Austin ICE Shooting Leads to Federal Assault Indictment
By Drooid · · How we work
Incident Overview
In late September, Wilber Garces Perez, a Venezuelan DoorDash driver, was stopped by two ICE agents in North Austin. After a brief exchange, Perez accelerated away, striking agent “L.G.” with his vehicle’s driver-side mirror. The chase ended near Research Boulevard and Anderson Square, where an ICE agent shot Perez. He remains in federal custody on a single count of assaulting a federal officer.
Background & Context
Agents conducting routine license-plate checks ran the plate of Perez’s blue Toyota Corolla and found a pending deportation order. Special Agent Rick Bazan testified that agents chose to pull Perez over at a restaurant rather than detain him there, describing the tactic as “safer.” The agents involved were identified only by initials: “D.F.” (body-camera wearer) and “L.G.” (the agent who was struck).
Official Statements & Responses
- Special Agent Rick Bazan, who filed the criminal complaint, said agents are “out there everywhere, you know, running license plates.”
- When asked why D.F. turned off his body camera before a critical conversation, Bazan replied, “You would have to ask D.F. I don’t know why he turned it off.”
- Defense attorney Shane McMahon questioned Bazan about the lack of a camera on L.G. and received the same “I don’t know” response.
- Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the city’s investigation is awaiting federal evidence, noting, “We have a lot of the evidence that we need… we’ve not received anything at this point, but I am still hopeful that we will.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Prosecutors presented body-camera footage they say shows Perez’s mirror contacting L.G., but a still image submitted as evidence did not conclusively demonstrate contact.
- The video and audio released to the court do not capture the moment the car struck L.G. nor the shooting itself; L.G. was not wearing a camera.
- Bazan testified that after the chase, D.F. called L.G. to report that L.G. had caught up, struck the car, and then shot Perez, claiming he fired because he feared being hit. No independent audio or video corroborates this narrative.
Verbatim Quotes
- “They're out there everywhere, you know, running license plates.” — Rick Bazan
- “You would have to ask D.F. I don’t know why he turned it off,” — Rick Bazan
- “Well I haven’t talked to D.F. but I know that you have,” — Shane McMahon
- “We have a lot of the evidence that we need. We have made several attempts or several calls to our federal partners. We’ve not received anything at this point, but I am still hopeful that we will,” — Lisa Davis