A Venezuelan man who was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer during a traffic stop in Austin says he is still in pain and still has a bullet lodged near his spine.
Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, 28, spoke by phone Monday from an ICE detention center in Pearsall, Texas. Garcés Pérez said he was shot while making food deliveries for DoorDash on Sunday and has not received the medical care he believes he needs, NBC News said. He told reporters the bullet was not removed because doctors were concerned about its location near his spine.
According to his attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, Garcés Pérez was released from a hospital and transferred to immigration custody only hours after the shooting, CBS News reported. She said he arrived at the detention center with the bullet still in his back and continued to complain of pain.
The Department of Homeland Security has said Garcés Pérez is in stable condition and remains in federal custody pending immigration proceedings. DHS has disputed some claims about his treatment but has not denied that the bullet remained lodged in his body while he was in detention.
Lawmakers, immigrant advocates and Garcés Pérez’s attorney are demanding answers about the shooting and calling for his release so he can receive additional medical care, KSAT reported. Some have argued that he is a key witness in the investigation and should remain available as authorities review what happened.
Austin police are investigating the shooting. Officials have urged patience as investigators gather evidence and determine exactly how the incident unfolded, KUT reported.
