Federal authorities announced charges on Tuesday against a Venezuelan delivery driver who was shot in his vehicle by immigration agents in Texas. Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, 28, faces one count of assaulting, resisting, and impeding a federal officer, according to a criminal complaint filed by the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
Prosecutors allege that Garcés Pérez struck an officer with his car’s side mirror as he attempted to drive away during the incident on September 20. The shooting occurred while Garcés Pérez was seated inside his automobile.
His legal representative stated that Garcés Pérez still has a bullet fragment lodged in his back as a result of the September 20 shooting. The suspect made his initial court appearance on Tuesday in Austin, Texas.
Bullet fragment in his back… and they’re charging him? Something about this story doesn’t add up for me.
How do we know the mirror strike wasn’t accidental during a panic reaction? We haven’t seen the bodycam footage yet.
I’m from Venezuela myself. It breaks my heart to hear about incidents like this happening to people seeking safety.
Wait, he’s facing assault charges after being shot? That timeline seems incredibly aggressive on the prosecutor’s part.
This is tragic on every level. A delivery driver shot and now charged? The legal system feels broken.