A Venezuelan citizen shot by a US immigration agent in Texas has been charged with assault and other crimes and faces up to 20 years in prison, the Department of Justice said Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The September 20 shooting of delivery driver Wilber Rafael Garces-Perez in Austin is the latest violence by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents tasked with enforcing President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.<\/p>\n
Garces-Perez, who remains in custody and still has a bullet lodged near his spine, appeared Tuesday before a federal court in Texas, where prosecutors charged him with one count of assaulting, resisting and impeding a federal officer during his arrest.<\/p>\n
His attorneys said they were not made aware of the court appearance until Garces-Perez stood before the judge in “a surprise to his legal team.”<\/p>\n
According to court documents, ICE agents detained Garces-Perez, 28, on September 20 after an immigration judge issued a final deportation order against him.<\/p>\n
The criminal complaint says agents stopped Garces-Perez in his car and positively identified him before the man ignored orders to exit the vehicle, instead driving off and leading ICE on a “high-speed chase.”<\/p>\n
During a call between ICE agents identified as LG and DF, LG told his colleague that Garces-Perez “had attempted to strike LG with his car and LG had fired his pistol,” shooting Garces-Perez in the upper back.<\/p>\n
The criminal complaint included a series of photos appearing to show the car’s driver-side rearview mirror approaching the torso of one of the agents.<\/p>\n
It also said officer DF turned off his body-worn camera during the pursuit.<\/p>\n
– ‘Playing games with his life’ –<\/p>\n
ICE and Homeland Security Investigations are probing the case.<\/p>\n
Local authorities, human rights groups and some lawmakers have called for an independent investigation.<\/p>\n
Last week Garces-Perez told reporters that he had asked the ICE agents who stopped him to let him park his car in a safe place before turning himself in. According to his account, he tried to drive there but the agents stopped him, rammed his vehicle and then shot him.<\/p>\n
“Nine days after being shot by ICE, Wilber still has a bullet lodged in his back. Medical professionals say he’s in grave danger because of it,” his legal team led by Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch said in a statement, adding their client remained in pain and without medication.<\/p>\n
“Rather than provide the life-saving medical care he needs, DHS and the government are playing games with his life.”<\/p>\n
His attorneys have requested Garces-Perez be released and taken to hospital.<\/p>\n
A habeas corpus hearing is scheduled for Wednesday in San Antonio.<\/p>\n
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