A man was shot and injured in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement incident in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, according to the Austin Police Department, prompting protests at the scene.
He was transported to a local hospital with a gunshot wound to the torso, where he is in serious but stable condition, officials said during a press conference.
ABC News has reached out to ICE and the Texas Department of Public Safety for a comment.
A video obtained by ABC News shows the moments after the man was shot. Taken by a witness and provided to a local city councilmember, the video shows the man sitting hunched over in the driver’s seat of a blue sedan as ICE officers surround the car.
The man can be heard saying in Spanish that he was shot because he did not “brake.” Later in the video, the man is seen handcuffed while officers cut his shirt, exposing a gunshot wound on his backĀ
Law enforcement sources told ABC News the shooting occurred during a targeted ICE operation and the person shot is believed to be a Venezuelan national illegally in the United States with a final order of removal.
Ā It is unclear if the person shot was the target of the operation, sources said.
The incident occurred in North Austin near the intersection of Research Boulevard and Anderson Square Sunday afternoon, where a blue Toyota Corolla was at the scene with bullet holes and damage to the passenger-side doors, according to ABC News’ Austin affiliate KVUE.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said during the press conference the man sustained the gunshot wound during a foot pursuit. The chief said the information was still preliminary.
An Austin city councilmember told ABC News that city police were not permitted to conduct a crime scene investigation.
“The crime scene was entirely controlled by ICE … HSI, Homeland Security Investigations, as well as state police, Department of Public Safety, and so the city police were not being permitted to conduct a crime scene investigation,ā Austin Councilmember Mike Siegel told ABC News.
Siegel confirmed that a federal immigration officer fired āat least two shotsā at an individual on Sunday afternoon.
āAn ICE Ford Expedition rammed into the side of a blue Toyota sedan … an ICE officer got out of the vehicle and fired multiple shots, at least two of which were visible to me as bullet holes in the rear passenger window,ā he said.
The councilmember told ABC News that he is working with city officials to ensure that the ICE officer who shot the individual is not allowed to leave Texas.
“I am extremely concerned that we cannot trust the federal law enforcement agencies to conduct a full and fair investigation, as evidenced by prior incidents in other parts of the country, including Minnesota, where ICE officers who committed similar crimes were allowed to leave the state,ā he said.
Austin Police referred all questions about the shooting to ICE, which has not responded to ABC News’ request for comment.
A group of protesters quickly gathered at the scene alongside a large police presence.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said in a statement he is “very angry and extremely disappointed that a person was shot on the streets of Austin by ICE.”
“While Iām angry and disappointed, Iām not surprised. This has happened in other cities. With the rogue nature of ICE and the chaos weāre seeing fomented by ICE, thereās no reason to be surprised. Austinites have a right to know what happened and they have a right to feel safe in their community,” he wrote on X.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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