Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, the Venezuelan delivery driver shot and wounded by a federal immigration agent in Texas last month, had surgery on Thursday to remove the bullet that had been lodged in his back for nearly two weeks.
Garcés Pérez, 28, appeared in court in a wheelchair on Wednesday, wearing a sling on his arm. He remains in custody on charges that he assaulted an officer while trying to evade arrest.
Supporters push for surgery
Supporters and representatives had been lobbying for him to be given the chance of surgery, asserting that there was a risk he would lose feeling on the left side of his body because of the bullet being stuck so close to his spine.
He had been taken from a hospital where he was being treated after being shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Austin and put in detention at a facility about 140 miles away the same day.
Incident details
The authorities said Garcés Pérez struck an officer with his side mirror on 20 September while trying to drive away after a traffic stop and questioning. The federal officer who shot Garcés Pérez, and who allegedly was hit by the side mirror of the car, was not wearing a body camera.
Garcés Pérez faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on the assault charge. He was also facing deportation when he was stopped while driving on a DoorDash delivery in Austin last month, with some of the incident caught on bystander footage, including how ICE officers called an ambulance and then stood by as the wounded man sat in his car and then was given first aid by local police when they arrived.
Recovery and reaction
The bullet was successfully removed during surgery, and Garcés Pérez is recovering in the custody of the US Marshals, said Fabiana Meléndez Ruiz, a spokesperson for his legal team.
His case has sparked outrage and protests in the Texas capital city against Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, including federal officers’ conduct. It was the latest shooting by ICE officers.
Garcés Pérez said he was struck by a law enforcement SUV and his car spun around before he was shot. Federal officers told investigators, however, that Garcés Pérez attempted to strike an officer with his car at the end of the chase before the officer fired his weapon.
