AUSTIN, Texas—A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and wounded a man Sunday afternoon in Texas’ capital of Austin, local authorities said, and anti-ICE protesters quickly gathered at the scene.
The unnamed man was in serious but stable condition at a hospital after being shot once in the torso on the city’s north side, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said at a news conference with the mayor and other city officials.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, did not participate in the news conference and didn’t immediately respond to requests for details.
Austin police officers were not involved in the operation or the shooting, which occurred after a traffic stop, Davis told reporters.
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, a Democrat, said he wants the city’s police department to be involved in the investigation so it can provide “clear, third-party eyes” in the process. Watson said he does not think it would be appropriate for ICE to conduct an investigation on its own.
Austin residents have “a right to feel safe in their city,” Watson said. A proper investigation will only enhance credibility, he added.
Davis said she did not yet know the nationality of the person who was shot. The chief said there were not many facts she could provide so soon after the incident, but added that her department’s special investigation unit was at the scene.
A dark blue Toyota Corolla was parked under an overpass with damage to its passenger-side door and what appeared to be bullet holes, local media reported.
A large law enforcement presence was at the scene, along with a crowd of about a hundred protesters.
