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Austin records show police summoned medics after north Austin ICE shooting
Austin-Travis County EMS says it received no 911 call about Sunday’s shooting and was dispatched at the request of Austin police. City officials say the first ambulance arrived just after 1 p.m.; whether ICE separately sought medical help remains unanswered.
Austin-Travis County EMS received no 911 call about the shooting of a man by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in north Austin on Sunday. Instead, the city says, Austin police requested medical assistance at about 12:57 p.m., and the first EMS unit arrived shortly after 1 p.m.
One ambulance and two EMS commanders responded, according to the city. An EMS spokesperson said the agency was asked to come by the Austin Police Department.
The timeline adds detail to Mayor Kirk Watson’s account of the response. In an interview Monday, Watson said Austin officers called EMS and provided aid after becoming involved at the scene.
Bystander video of the aftermath, which does not show the shooting itself, captures ICE agents near the vehicle where the wounded man remained behind the wheel. About four minutes into the recording, Austin police officers arrive. An officer asks an ICE agent whether EMS is coming; the agent replies, “yeah.” The recording also captures a bystander asking whether an ambulance is on its way.
At a news conference Tuesday, Police Chief Lisa Davis said she did not know ICE’s procedure for contacting the city to request medical care. She said EMS should be called immediately when someone is injured and added that she was unsure whether ICE called 911.
ICE said it would look into questions about whether it requested an ambulance, then referred the inquiry to the Department of Homeland Security. DHS provided a statement but did not answer that specific question. The city’s EMS records establish that police requested the response, but do not resolve whether ICE also made a separate call or request.
The city’s account bears on how emergency care was arranged after a federal agent’s shooting in Austin. A public information request has been filed for 911 calls made to the city during the relevant period, which could help clarify whether any additional call was placed.