The Texas Department of Public Safety said the Immigration and Customs Enforcement unit had requested assistance in pursuing a vehicle. According to the department, shots had been fired by the time its teams arrived at the scene.
Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan who was in the vehicle, was wounded in the incident. Authorities said a single bullet struck Perez in the torso and that he was taken to hospital. Perez was described as being in critical but stable condition.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said at a news conference on Sunday that Austin police did not participate in the operation or the armed intervention.
Protest at the scene
A protest was held in the area where the shooting took place against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement unit. Security forces took extensive precautions during the demonstration, which was attended by about 100 people.
Some protesters argued with police during the demonstration. Some drivers supported the protesters by honking their vehicle horns.
Previous armed interventions
Gunfire by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers led to the death in July of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican national who was being pursued in Houston.
That same month, 25-year-old Colombian national Yohan Sebastian was also killed by gunfire from an agency officer in the state of Maine.
The deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good during armed interventions carried out by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement unit in Minnesota in January also drew reactions across the United States.
