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Two separate encounters involving ICE in Central Texas
There were two separate, violent encounters involving federal immigration officers in the Austin metro area. Officials with the Travis County Sheriff's Office explained why a request for assistance in one of the incidents was initially refused.
AUSTIN, Texas - There were two separate, violent encounters Monday involving federal immigration officers in Central Texas.
In one of them, some confusion led to an initial refusal of support from the Travis County Sheriff's Office, officials say.
What they're saying:
Federal and state officers were on Pearce Lane Monday morning looking for three suspects that allegedly got into a confrontation with federal immigration agents.
A transcript of scanner traffic reads:
"County is getting a call of ICE in pursuit with a vehicle 130 southbound passing 449. I don’t know if we have any units close to that, that can help. But county says they’re not going to help out with it."
Officials with the Travis County Sheriff's Office said the request was not initially refused, but later was rejected due to confusion about what was happening. The initial notification came from a motorist on SH 130 who called 911 to report a chase involving unmarked law enforcement vehicles.
FOX 7 Austin was told, as federal agents pursued one vehicle, another was ramming the vehicle being driven by the agents. A deputy was sent but turned around.
A statement sent to FOX 7 Austin reads:
"TCSO dispatch and the patrol supervisor were then notified that Pflugerville PD dispatched information that the units were ICE and did not need assistance. A TCSO supervisor advised TCSO would not get involved unless ICE requested assistance. The patrol supervisor approved the deputy to cancel his engagement based on his understanding of the information."
As the chase continued down the highway, county dispatch got a call from an ICE. At that time, he asked for help, but there was confusion about that, according to the statement from the Sheriff’s Office.
"A patrol supervisor asked TCSO Dispatch for clarification regarding what type of assistance was needed. Relying solely on dispatch communications and not hearing any of the ICE radio traffic, the supervisor assumed that ICE was seeking assistance with their operation, rather than the pursuit and declined the request."
The chase ended on Pearce Lane near the Sun Chase subdivision, northeast of the Circuit of the Americas. A van with damage on the side was recovered and towed away.
Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez issued a statement to FOX 7 Austin that reads:
"It is not our policy or practice to decline to assist other Law Enforcement agencies when they request it. Unfortunately, I think recent events on the national stage and public perception may have had an impact on how the events that were unfolding were understood and responded to by TCSO Staff. We are looking into this to help eliminate any future confusion."
A Travis County deputy eventually was sent to the area, but that dispatch was to a wreck at SH 130 and Pearce Lane. A motorist who was not involved in the chase got caught up in it and crashed.
Unrelated incident in Hutto
Dig deeper:
Earlier Monday morning, an unrelated immigration case took place near Hutto.
Williamson County deputies responded to a call around 5 a.m. regarding gunshots being fired from a car on Hwy 79. FOX 7 Austin was told when deputies caught up with the car near CR 110, they witnessed shots being fired.
The four people in the car who were taken into custody are undocumented migrants.
One was taken to the county jail on charges related to the shooting while the others were turned over to ICE.
The Source: Information in this report comes from reporting/interviews by FOX 7 Austin's Rudy Koski