Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan DoorDash delivery driver, spoke publicly after being shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Austin, Texas. “I feel a little bad. I still have the bullet in there,” he said during a news conference organized by his attorney.
Garcés Pérez said he was taken to a hospital after the shooting and later transferred to an ICE processing facility in Pearsall, where he remained in custody. He said the bullet was still lodged near his spine and that he had not received what he considered adequate medical attention. Reuters reported that he was later taken back to a hospital for treatment related to paralysis on his left side.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain disputed. Garcés Pérez said ICE agents struck his vehicle, did not identify themselves or use lights or sirens, and that he was shot while still inside his car. Austin police, however, said there was a pursuit before the shooting, while DHS said he was in the country illegally and had a final removal order.
The incident prompted protests in Austin, while city officials and members of Congress called for an independent investigation. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said residents have a right to know what happened, and Democratic Rep. Greg Casar called for a full investigation and the release of body-camera footage.
