Immigrant Shot by ICE Officer Is Charged With Assault

An immigrant who was shot by an ICE officer in Austin now faces federal charges over the encounter. The Justice Department on Tuesday accused 29-year-old Venezuelan national Wilber Garces Perez of assaulting an immigration officer with his vehicle during a Sept. 20 traffic stop, reports the Austin American-Statesman. An affidavit alleges Garces Perez hit the officer's torso with his side mirror and then sped away, triggering a high-speed chase. He was also charged with resisting arrest, reports the Texas Tribune.

The officer, identified as "L.G.," later fired into Garces Perez's car, striking him in the upper back. The officer was not wearing a body camera, according to the affidavit, while the other officer had one but turned it off during the pursuit, per the Washington Post. Garces Perez was briefly hospitalized before being transferred to a detention center in Pearsall, Texas, where he remains in custody.