A federal immigration official shot and injured a man in Austin who remained in serious but stable condition on Sunday afternoon, city officials said.
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot a man after a “small foot pursuit,” Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis and other city officials said during a news conference.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said he is “angry” but “not surprised at all” that an ICE agent has shot someone in the city, especially since immigration operations have picked up in the past few weeks.
Robert Luckritz, the chief of Austin and Travis County EMS, said medical responders received a call shortly before 1 p.m. of a man with a single gunshot wound in the 8000 block of Anderson Square. The man, who was wounded in the upper torso, was transported to the hospital, Luckritz said.
Austin police and Texas Rangers plan to investigate the shooting along with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the federal agency that oversees immigration enforcement, Davis said.
“If there’s nothing wrong with that, they should welcome an investigation. And if you’re pro law enforcement, you should see that an investigation that is done right will only enhance credibility,“ the mayor said. “Austinites should know the truth, and I am pleased that we’re in a situation where Austin will also be involved in this investigation.”
All three city officials said they don’t know the nationality of the name of the person shot, but said he was an adult man.
U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, D-Austin, who also at the news conference, said he supported outside agencies investigating the shooting because “ICE has not been truthful in shootings in other cities.”
“It is appropriate for this community to ask for independence, to ask for transparency, and to ask for accountability,” he said. “This is a pattern. It’s a disturbing pattern, and it’s got to stop.”
This summer, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer also fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston on July 7. Investigations into that killing are ongoing.
This summer, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer also fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston on July 7. Investigations into that killing are ongoing.
This is a developing story and will be updated frequently.
