An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot a man in North Austin on Sunday, leaving him seriously injured and drawing a large protest to the scene. Austin city officials said the man was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound to the upper body and remains in serious but stable condition.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the shooting happened during a traffic stop and that local police were not directly involved in the stop or the shooting. The man’s identity and nationality have not been confirmed.
Under an overpass at the scene, a dark blue Toyota Corolla with bullet damage and signs of impact was later towed away. About 100 protesters gathered nearby, with police carrying riot shields as demonstrators voiced opposition to federal immigration enforcement.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, a Democrat, called for the Austin Police Department and the Travis County district attorney’s office to take part in the investigation for objectivity. U.S. Rep. Greg Casar also said the community was shaken by the incident, as pressure grew for federal officials to share evidence and cooperate with local investigators.
