Federal Judge Denies Bond for Man Shot by ICE Officer, Criminal Prosecution to Proceed
A federal judge in Austin, Texas, has denied bond for Wilber Garcés Pérez, a 28-year-old Venezuelan man who was shot and injured by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer earlier this month. U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin Howell ruled that federal prosecutors have probable cause to support a criminal charge against Garcés Pérez for assaulting, resisting, interfering, and impeding a federal officer. The judge also determined there is sufficient evidence to believe Garcés Pérez might flee if released on bond, citing details from his initial interaction with ICE officers and a prior failure to appear for an immigration hearing. Garcés Pérez appeared in court in a wheelchair with his left arm in a sling, and his attorneys confirmed a bullet remains in his back from the September 20 shooting in North Austin.
