Multiple videos shared on social media have revealed more details about the moments surrounding the shooting of 28-year-old Venezuelan Wilber Rafael Garces Perez by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Austin on Sunday. The incident occurred just before 1 p.m. local time near Anderson Square and Research Boulevard, in the city’s north side. Garces Perez, who was identified by immigration attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, was delivering food for DoorDash when he was shot and wounded by a federal officer.
DoorDash confirmed to Newsweek that Garces Perez was making a delivery at the time of the shooting. The company said it is actively investigating the incident but has no additional details to share at this time. DoorDash also said all Dashers are independent contractors, not employees.
It is unclear whether Garces Perez was the target of an immigration operation. Lincoln-Goldfinch told NBC that Garces Perez entered the country lawfully through a parole program and was an asylum seeker. She did not comment on his current immigration status.
However, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson told Newsweek that Garces Perez was an "illegal alien" who "illegally entered our country under the Biden administration and had a final order of removal." Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said during a news conference on Sunday that the city’s police officers were not involved in the shooting. and had heard there was a “small foot pursuit” ahead of the shooting, though she admitted to not having the full details on the incident yet. But videos filmed by members of the media and bystanders that day reveal some of the details of what happened. An Austin resident, Heidi Ann Clark, was driving by the scene and livestreaming around 12:50 p.m. local time when she was suddenly distracted by the sound of a fast-moving vehicle slamming on its brakes on the other side of the road.
Turning the camera to the incident, the woman captured an unmarked SUV stopping near a blue Toyota Corolla believed to belong to Garces Perez. An ICE agent can be seen coming out of the SUV and running toward the Toyota Corolla while holding a firearm. While a siren is blasting in the background, the sounds of three shots being fired can be heard shortly after the officer leaves the vehicle.
The blue car is still slowly rolling but stops when the officer approaches. Based on an analysis of Google Maps images, Clark’s video appears to have been filmed from the other side of the bridge where the shooting took place. A second video shared by Austin resident Celena Ramos shows the scene after Austin Police Department cars and officers had arrived and cordoned off the area.
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