Austin police and Travis County prosecutors open independent probe of ICE officer shooting of Wilber Rafael Garces Perez
September 24, 2026
- What: Austin Police Department and the Travis County District Attorney's Office are investigating the shooting of Wilber Rafael Garces Perez by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
- Who: The probe involves Austin police detectives, the Travis County District Attorney's Office, Texas Rangers, and federal agencies including DHS and the FBI.
- Where: The shooting occurred in Austin and prosecutors noted a related court hearing is scheduled in San Antonio on September 30.
- Why it matters: Local officials are seeking federal evidence and witness access while federal investigators conduct a separate review, raising questions about information sharing.
Austin police and the Travis County District Attorney's Office have launched a joint inquiry into the shooting of 28-year-old Venezuelan national Wilber Rafael Garces Perez by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer.
APD Chief Lisa Davis told reporters her detectives are in daily contact with the Department of Homeland Security, and she expressed confidence in the investigators assigned to the case. She said she did not have details about what specific evidence detectives have requested from DHS or when those materials might be turned over.
The local probe is being carried out alongside the Texas Rangers and the Travis County District Attorney's Office. Prosecutors have asked federal investigators for both digital and physical evidence, and they have requested permission to interview the ICE officer involved, as part of efforts to build a full accounting of the incident.
District Attorney José Garza described the investigation as at an early stage and said his team is waiting to learn whether federal authorities will grant the evidence and interview requests. Garza also sent a letter asking that Garces Perez be allowed to remain in the United States; a federal judge ordered his presence at a San Antonio court hearing on September 30, but Garza said investigators will need him to stay longer so he can participate in the inquiry.
The case arrives amid a series of similar shootings involving federal immigration agents nationwide, and local officials have expressed concern about whether federal agencies will share all relevant materials. Officials pointed to past instances in Minnesota and Houston where federal investigators limited evidence access and that affected local prosecutions.
KUT sought comment from DHS about plans for sharing information with local law enforcement, but the agency did not reply. The FBI is assisting with the federal review and directed questions about evidence sharing to DHS.
This story was updated to correct the spelling of Garces Perez's first name.
Sources
- APD news conference
- Statement from the Travis County District Attorney
- KUT reporting
- Department of Homeland Security nonresponse
- FBI comment to reporters