Federal prosecutors say Wilber Rafael Garces-Perez, 28, refused to obey ICE officers' commands to get out of his vehicle during a targeted traffic stop. Instead, he sped off and struck one officer in the torso with his driver's side mirror, according to the complaint. Officers had spotted his vehicle parked outside a restaurant and ran the license plate before the stop.
Garces-Perez was shot during the pursuit that followed. The Justice Department has not released details on his condition or on what prompted officers to target his vehicle in the first place. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison, on top of whatever immigration consequences he already faces as a result of the stop.
The case adds to a string of confrontations between ICE officers and people targeted in traffic stops as immigration enforcement actions continue drawing scrutiny nationwide.