AUSTIN, TX — One person was shot by a federal immigration officer in Austin on Sunday, according to the Austin Police Department. Emergency crews were called to the 8000 block of Anderson Square shortly before 1 p.m. after a report of a shooting.

Austin Travis County EMS said the man had one gunshot wound to the torso. He was taken to a hospital in serious but stable condition, officials said.

Police Chief Lisa Davis said the shooting followed a foot pursuit. Austin police were not directly involved in the incident, but officers did help with traffic control while investigators worked at the scene.

Austin police, Texas Rangers to investigate the federal shooting

Davis said the Austin Police Department’s special investigations unit and the Texas Rangers will handle the investigation. She said city police were not the lead agency in the shooting itself, but did respond around the scene and assist with the broader response.

The chief said a foot chase happened before the man was shot. Authorities have not publicly described what led to the chase or what happened in the moments before the officer fired.

The involvement of the Texas Rangers adds another layer to the review as questions build around the use of force and the actions of the federal officer. So far, police have not said whether body-camera footage exists or whether any other video has been secured.

The man was identified as Wilber Rafael Garces Perez

Officials identified the man as 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garces Perez. A law enforcement source said he is a Venezuelan national who is in the country illegally and has a final order of removal.

Attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, who is representing Perez, said he lives in Austin with his wife and works as a DoorDash driver. She said he was making a delivery when the incident happened.

Lincoln-Goldfinch said Perez has since been released from the hospital and that she believes he is now in ICE custody. She also said his wife has not received meaningful information about his condition or whereabouts.

Family and lawyer say they were left with little information

In a statement, Lincoln-Goldfinch said Perez was held for about six hours, and that officers declined to give his wife clear details about what happened. She said the family has not been allowed to see him and has not gotten a meaningful update on his location or medical status.

Those concerns have become part of the public fallout from the shooting as family members, lawyers and local leaders press for more transparency. The attorney’s comments focused on the lack of communication after the shooting and the uncertainty surrounding Perez’s custody status.

The case now centers not only on the shooting itself, but also on how much information federal officials have shared with the family and local authorities.

Mayor Kirk Watson says ICE should not investigate itself

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said the city’s police department should be involved so there are “clear, third-party eyes” on the case. He said it would not be appropriate for ICE to investigate the shooting on its own.

Watson also tied the incident to what he described as an increase in ICE detentions in Austin. He said the shooting had brought a serious federal enforcement action directly into the city.

His comments reflected a broader demand for outside scrutiny, with city leaders saying the investigation needs to be independent enough to answer basic questions about what happened before the shot was fired.

Members of Congress and Texas Democrats call for footage and accountability

U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, a Democrat from Austin, said the incident showed how federal immigration enforcement has come “to our doorstep.” He said the message should be that ICE should end its surge in the community.

State Rep. James Talarico also called for a full independent investigation, saying previous incidents have shown the agency cannot be trusted to report every fact. He asked for the release of all available footage.

The Texas House Democrats issued a similar statement, saying Texans deserve an independent review, access to available footage and accountability from ICE. Their statement pointed to a recent ICE shooting in Houston and argued that the current pattern is making communities feel less safe.