ICE Officer in Austin Shooting Not Using Body Camera
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ICE Officer in Austin Shooting Not Using Body Camera
- An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer involved in the shooting of a Venezuelan man in Austin, Texas, on Sunday was a recruit who had been issued a body camera but was not actively using it during the incident.
- The officer joined ICE last year during a significant hiring surge by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has faced scrutiny regarding the vetting and training of new recruits.
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A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, a recent recruit, shot Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan man, in Austin, Texas, on Sunday. Reports indicate the officer had been issued a body camera but was not using it at the time of the shooting. The incident occurred when ICE officers, in an unmarked black SUV, attempted a traffic stop, and Garces Perez, a DoorDash delivery driver, stated he did not initially believe they were law enforcement. His attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, stated that an ICE vehicle sideswiped Garces Perez’s car and struck it again as he attempted a U-turn before the shooting. Garces Perez was shot once in the upper torso and was later taken into ICE custody after being treated at a hospital, reportedly with a bullet still lodged in his back.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, has been under increasing criticism from former officials regarding the vetting and training of recruits, especially following a major hiring initiative last year that added approximately 12,000 officers. Concerns have been raised that some recruits were deployed before being adequately vetted or trained, with some reportedly being quietly fired for poor performance or unaddressed red flags.
ICE Acting Director David Venturella had stated over the summer that all officers would be equipped with body cameras by the end of August, following previous incidents where immigrants were shot by officers without recording cameras. However, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin indicated in early September that the full distribution of cameras was still incomplete. Following Sunday’s shooting, ICE sent an email to all officers reminding them to activate their cameras for “Enforcement Activities.” Local authorities, including Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis, confirmed that local officers were not involved in the shooting itself. The incident has sparked protests in Texas and calls for a transparent investigation.