U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials report that the Venezuelan man shot by an ICE officer in Austin on Sunday entered the U.S. illegally during the Biden Border Crisis. The man attempted to flee from an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officer during a targeted law enforcement operation.
ICE Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI are leading the investigation into the officer-involved shooting, which took place on the north side of Austin Sunday afternoon. Officials say the Venezuelan illegal alien had a final order of removal from an immigration judge and was being targeted for arrest and removal from the U.S. The man remains in ICE custody in stable condition after being treated and released from a local hospital.
Breitbart Texas reached out to DHS officials for additional information regarding the shooting. Photos and videos from the scene show the Venezuelan man’s vehicle with damage to the passenger side. The video, reported on by Breitbart Texas, shows the officer approaching the vehicle as the driver attempted to flee. The officer appeared to fire several shots. It is not clear what he may have seen in the vehicle that could have prompted the shooting.
The man drove a few feet up the street and stopped before entering the intersection. A separate video shows the man sitting calmly in the driver’s seat as the ICE officer appears to be on the phone, perhaps calling for medical assistance. It is not clear from DHS statements how many times the officer fired or how many times the man was hit.
The ICE officer does not appear to be wearing a body camera in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. Breitbart Texas spoke with an ICE official who said the agency is still deploying the newly funded body cam devices. Photos after the shooting show other ICE officers wearing body cameras.
Shortly after the shooting, people in Austin quickly arrived on the scene with pre-printed anti-ICE protest signs. It is not clear how many of the protesters were arrested for blocking streets or other offenses during the protests.
Bob Price is the Breitbart Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday morning talk show. He also serves as president of Blue Wonder Gun Care Products.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a developing story. Additional information may emerge which could change or add to the facts in this article.