Austin ICE shooting: Rep. Greg Casar visits Venezuelan man shot by ICE agent

TEXAS - It's been three days since an ICE agent shot a man in North Austin. 

It's still not clear what exactly happened during the law enforcement operation before the ICE agent opened fire. 

ICE shooting in North Austin

The backstory:

It's still not clear exactly what happened during the law enforcement operation on Sunday, Sept. 20, before the ICE agent opened fire in North Austin.

Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Rob Luckritz said emergency crews were notified of a reported shooting at about 12:56 p.m. in the 8000 block of Anderson Square.

Paramedics arrived within about 3 1/2 minutes and found an adult man with a gunshot wound. The man was transported to a local trauma center in serious but stable condition.

APD Chief Lisa Davis said the shooting involved a federal agent and later confirmed she had been told the agent was with ICE. Austin police were not involved in the shooting. 

RELATED COVERAGE: Austin ICE shooting: Agent was not wearing bodycam, reports say

The man shot has been identified as Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a Venezuelan national, by immigration attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, who is representing Perez and his family.

Perez told Lincoln-Goldfinch that he was driving for DoorDash on Sunday when an unmarked car sideswiped him. He did not know it was ICE.

He told Lincoln-Goldfinch that he did a U-turn under the highway and was then sideswiped again. He then said the agents got out of the unmarked car and shot him in the back of the neck. They then pulled him from the car.

RELATED COVERAGE: Austin ICE shooting: New details released on man shot by ICE agents

Lincoln-Goldfinch said there was no foot chase. However, ICE said there was a foot chase.

DHS officials have confirmed that Perez is from Venezuela and say he entered the country illegally and had a final order of removal.

Perez was taken into federal custody to the South Texas ICE processing center in Pearsall, but has since been taken back to the hospital, according to Rep. Joaquin Castro.

Rep. Greg Casar visits Wilber Perez at an ICE detention facility 

What they're saying:

Congressman Greg Casar gave an update after visiting the Venezuelan man in ICE custody. He visited Perez on Wednesday to see how he was doing. 

"He finally got a chance to see a specialist, and the specialist told Wilbur that, in his opinion, he needs surgery to remove the bullet that is still lodged in his spine," said Casar. 

Casar says he wants ICE to expedite his care and release him from the facility so he can receive the proper medical care. He alleges Pérez did not receive adequate medical care after the shooting. 

Casar says Pérez spent time at the facility without a bed and did not get stronger pain medication until an hour before his visit. 

"I think if any one of us, if we had just taken a bullet wound through our back or any one of our family members had just taken a bullet in the back with a bullet still inside our bodies, three days later, of course, we would still be in the hospital. And so, my message to ICE is very clear, let Wilbur out of detention and release him to his doctors," said Casar. 

Casar also asked why Pérez was released from the hospital after a few hours and returned to ICE custody. 

Dig deeper:

This initial traffic stop reportedly happened about 200 yards away from the scene of the shooting. What happened in the time between the traffic stop and the shooting remains unclear. 

Casar was questioned about the timeline on Wednesday. 

"What is most important is for Wilbur to speak directly with law enforcement directly, to speak with the judicial system and with investigators about what he experienced," said Casar. 

DHS says Pérez was the subject of a targeted vehicle stop. 

The other side:

However, DHS responded to Casar's press conference Thursday night, calling it a shameless fabrication. 

They say Pérez was provided medication and a bed. They also said medical procedures are solely under the authority of the hospital. They added that ICE did not, and would not, instruct trained hospital personnel on how to do their jobs.

Ascension Seton responds

Ascension Seton released a statement about Perez's visit to the hospital:

"We are committed to providing safe, compassionate care to all those who enter our doors. We have established procedures and policies related to interactions with law enforcement, which are the same regardless of agency—federal, state or local—that were strictly followed in this case.

Meanwhile, new video released by APD Tuesday appears to show Perez involved in a traffic stop with federal agents before leading them on a pursuit, minutes before he was shot by a federal agent."

What's next:

DHS said ICE won't be slowing down or leaving Austin soon. 

Perez has a court date scheduled for next week in San Antonio. 

Crime and Public SafetyAustinImmigration