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DoorDash driver shot by ICE agent during Austin traffic stop and chase

Sep 21, 2026·Location: Austin, TX

Country of origin: Venezuela

DoorDash driver shot by ICE agent during Austin traffic stop and chase
Photo via BBC

Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan immigrant who had lived in Austin for about two years working as a DoorDash delivery driver, was shot in the torso by a federal ICE agent following a traffic stop and foot pursuit near Research Boulevard and Anderson Square. Texas state troopers said ICE had requested assistance in pursuing his blue Toyota Corolla shortly before the shooting, and bullet holes were reported on the sides and back of his vehicle. His attorney, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, and U.S. Rep. Greg Casar said he has no criminal history and no final removal order, though DHS cited one; he entered the country through a parole program as an asylum seeker, held a valid work permit, and is married to a woman with legal status. He called his wife 'yelling in pain' after being shot, and a bystander livestreamed him handcuffed with a visible gunshot wound. He was treated at Dell Seton Medical Center in serious but stable condition before being released into ICE custody, and his family and attorneys said they were denied access to see him. About 100 protesters gathered afterward demanding ICE leave Austin, and police used pepper-ball projectiles on the crowd, reportedly affecting a 14-year-old boy. Mayor Kirk Watson, Rep. Casar, and the Travis County DA's office called for an independent investigation involving local police, DHS, and the FBI, along with release of body camera footage.

Timeline

Sep 21, 2026Mayor Kirk Watson, Rep. Greg Casar, and the Travis County DA's office called for an independent investigation and release of body camera footage
Sep 20, 2026ICE agents requested help from Texas troopers to pursue Garcés Pérez's car, leading to a traffic stop, foot chase, and shooting
Sep 20, 2026Garcés Pérez taken to Dell Seton Medical Center for treatment of gunshot wound, described as serious but stable
Sep 20, 2026He was released into ICE custody after hospital treatment; family and attorneys said they were denied hospital access
Sep 20, 2026About 100 protesters gathered demanding ICE leave Austin; police used pepper-ball projectiles on the crowd
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