Venezuelan migrant shot in Texas detained again

Venezuelan national Vilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, who was shot by a federal immigration agent in Austin, Texas, was returned to an immigration detention center after receiving treatment at a hospital.

According to his lawyer, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, Perez spent one night at the detention center with the bullet still lodged in his back. He was taken to hospital on Sept. 22 and later returned to another detention facility about 209 kilometers southwest of Austin.

Lawyer and officials issue conflicting accounts

Speaking by phone during a news conference on Monday, Perez said he was not feeling well and had not received adequate medical care. “I do not feel well because of the gunshot wound I suffered,” he said in Spanish.

Perez also said he was forced to sleep on the floor at the detention center. The US Department of Homeland Security, which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), denied the claim and said he had been provided with pain medication and other medical care.

Police release body-camera footage

The Austin Police Department released body-camera footage from officers involved in the shooting. In one video, Perez is seen sitting in his car while two ICE officers stand nearby. He tells police that his shoulder hurts, after which he is removed from the vehicle and handcuffed. One of the officers cuts open his shirt, revealing a gunshot wound to the upper part of his back.

Perez said on Sunday that he worked as a DoorDash delivery driver and that his vehicle was struck from the side by a car belonging to immigration agents. He said the agents did not identify themselves and did not use emergency lights or a siren. Perez said he was inside the vehicle when the shots were fired and that there was no foot chase.

Austin police said on Sunday that Perez had fled from the agents.

Investigation continues

The Travis County prosecutor’s office has asked the Department of Homeland Security to suspend Perez’s removal proceedings while the shooting is investigated. The office said his deportation would “seriously limit” his ability to participate in the case as a key witness.