Venezuelan man shot by ICE officer in Texas is charged with assault
Also reported by BBC US, Guardian World
Summary
A Venezuelan asylum seeker named Wilber Rafael Garces Perez was shot in the back by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Texas and now faces federal assault charges. Prosecutors say he hit an officer with his car’s side mirror during the incident, while Garces Perez says he was shot after being hit by a police car.Key Facts
- Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, appeared in federal court in Austin, Texas, charged with assaulting, resisting, and impeding a federal officer.
- The incident happened on September 20 while Garces Perez was delivering food near a shopping center.
- ICE officers saw his car’s emergency lights flashing and found he had a final order of removal from the U.S.
- Garces Perez gave his driver’s license through a half-open window but then drove off, hitting an officer with his side mirror.
- The officer chasing him claimed Garces Perez tried to run him over, leading the officer to fire his gun.
- Garces Perez said his car was hit by an officer’s vehicle first, causing it to spin, and then he was shot in the back.
- He remains in detention with a bullet still in his body and a fractured collarbone.
- His legal team says he was legally seeking asylum and has a valid work permit but was ordered deported after missing a hearing.
- The case involves the now-replaced CBP One program, used by asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border.
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