Austin Bodycam Shows Officers Gently Help Wounded Man From Car After ICE Shooting

What The Bodycam Shows

Austin Police released bodycam footage showing what happened after an ICE officer shot and wounded Wilbur Rafael Garces Perez during a confrontation in North Austin. Perez claimed that police officers yanked him from his vehicle after he was shot. The bodycam footage shows something different: Officers appear to gently help Perez out of the blue Toyota Corolla before placing him in handcuffs. That is a rather different picture from the one described in his claim. The camera may not answer every question surrounding the confrontation, but it does provide a clear look at the moments immediately after the shooting.

What Led To The Shooting

The shooting happened Sunday afternoon in the 7000 block of West Anderson Lane in North Austin. According to reports, an ICE SUV rammed the blue Toyota Corolla when Perez tried to drive away. An ICE agent then got out of the vehicle and shot Perez as he attempted to flee. Perez was transported to a local hospital and was reported to be in stable condition. The incident involved federal immigration officers, a vehicle collision, and a confrontation that quickly drew public attention. Those details help explain why the release of police bodycam footage became important in the debate over what happened.

Protesters Confronted Austin Police

After the ICE-involved shooting, a crowd formed at the scene as leftist protesters confronted Austin police. The footage of the officers helping Perez from the car now stands alongside the public claims made after the incident. That contrast is the key detail presented by the video, especially because Perez’s account described a much rougher removal from the vehicle.

Perez Remains In ICE Custody

Wilbur Rafael Garces Perez, identified in reports as a Venezuelan national in the country illegally, is currently being held at an ICE detention center. Austin Democrat Mayor Kirk Watson also attacked federal agents during a press conference over the weekend. With Perez in ICE custody and the bodycam video now public, the incident is likely to remain a point of dispute in Austin. For now, the released footage directly shows officers assisting Perez from the vehicle and cuffing him after the shooting.

WE’D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS! PLEASE COMMENT BELOW.

JIMMY

Find more articles like this at steadfastandloyal.com.

Having trouble? If your comment doesn’t post, submit another comment right after it that says: Jimmy, please approve my comment that didn’t post.