DHS has charged DoorDash driver Wilber Rafael Garces Perez with assaulting and impeding a federal officer after a Sept. 20 traffic stop in Austin. DHS released three body‑cam stills that show an agent near the driver’s side mirror just before the vehicle pulled away; the complaint alleges the agent was struck in the torso. Agents pursued the vehicle with lights and sirens, and the agent identified as L.G. later told colleagues he fired after being allegedly struck. Garces Perez says the agent’s vehicle hit his, then fired through a rear passenger window, wounding him in the upper back. The case remains under investigation and no body-cam video of the shooting itself has been made public.
Austin ICE Shooting: Body-Cam Stills Released as Driver Faces Federal Charge
A still from an DHS agent's body cam on September 20, 2026, in Austin, Texas.
A man shot during an encounter with immigration agents in Austin, Texas, now faces federal charges after authorities say his car struck an agent’s mirror while leaving a traffic stop.
What the Court Filing Says
In a U.S. District Court filing made public Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) alleges DoorDash driver Wilber Rafael Garces Perez assaulted, resisted, interfered with, and impeded a federal officer during an interaction on Sept. 20. DHS included three still images from an agent’s body-worn camera taken during the initial vehicle stop, after agents identified the Venezuelan man as having a final order of removal.
A still from an DHS agent's body cam on September 20, 2026, in Austin, Texas.
The stills show an agent identified in the complaint as L.G. standing near the front-left of the driver’s door while the vehicle was stopped at the highway’s edge. According to the filing, agents spoke with Garces Perez and confirmed his identity in what it describes as a "pleasant and not aggressive" conversation. After roughly a minute, the complaint says, Garces Perez abruptly rolled up his window and began to drive away. The images show L.G. very close to the vehicle’s side mirror before stepping away as the car departs; DHS alleges the agent was struck "in his torso."
Chase and Shooting
DHS says agents L.G. and D.F. pursued Garces Perez with emergency lights and sirens through residential and commercial areas. At one point, the filming agent (D.F.) reported losing sight of L.G. and Garces Perez and turned off his body camera. D.F. said he tried to reach L.G. by phone; L.G. called back, provided his location and told D.F. that Garces Perez had allegedly tried to strike him with the car and that L.G. had fired his pistol. The filing does not include L.G.’s own written account, and there appears to be no body-cam video of the shooting itself.
A still from an DHS agent's body cam on September 20, 2026, in Austin, Texas.
Garces Perez told investigators the pursuit ended when L.G.’s vehicle collided with his, causing his car to spin. He alleged the agent then fired through the rear passenger-side window, striking him in the upper back. The complaint does not specify any injuries sustained by the agent.
Context and Ongoing Investigation
The shooting prompted protests in Austin and adds to other incidents involving ICE agents in Texas and elsewhere. The matter is under investigation and is part of ongoing legal proceedings in the Western District of Texas. News outlets have contacted DHS and Garces Perez’s attorney for comment.
Note: The court filing includes three still images from an agent's body camera documenting the initial stop. No body-cam footage of the shooting itself has been produced in the filing.
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