The key points are temporarily unavailable. You can still read the full Story below.
Main Points
A 28-year-old Venezuelan man is in serious but stable condition after being shot in the torso by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Austin, Texas. The incident occurred on the city’s north side on Sunday afternoon following a traffic stop.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis confirmed that local police were not involved in the operation or the shooting. The department’s special investigation unit has been deployed to the scene to conduct an inquiry. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson stated that he wants the local police department to remain involved in the investigation to ensure transparency, noting that he does not believe it is appropriate for ICE to investigate the incident independently.
The man was identified by immigration attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch as Wilber Rafael Garces Perez. Lincoln-Goldfinch stated that the man’s family has faced difficulties obtaining information regarding his status or location from the hospital. While she initially suggested he had no criminal history or final order of removal, she later clarified to the Associated Press that she did not have definitive information regarding his current immigration status.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, did not participate in the press conference held by city officials and did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Mayor Watson expressed concern regarding the whereabouts of the federal agent involved, stating that he hopes the individual remains in the city and state during the investigation.
Following the shooting, approximately 100 protesters gathered at the scene. U.S. Representative Greg Casar, a Democrat representing parts of Austin, called for transparency and criticized the recent increase in ICE enforcement activities in the region.
The shooting follows a period of heightened enforcement by ICE, which reported more than 50,000 arrests per month during July and August. In a separate incident in July, an ICE officer fatally shot 52-year-old Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston after a pursuit involving unmarked vehicles.
Article source: www.aljazeera.com | Image credit: www.aljazeera.com
