SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
Advocacy organizations are calling for a full and independent investigation into a Tuesday morning shooting. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents shot and killed a Houston man during a traffic stop. Houston Public Media's Bianca Seward joins us now. Bianca, welcome.
BIANCA SEWARD, BYLINE: Hi.
DETROW: What do we know so far about what happened yesterday?
SEWARD: Right now, we know very little. ICE released a short statement yesterday saying agents attempted to arrest Lorenzo Salgado Araujo as part of a targeted enforcement operation in Houston. But they say he attempted to evade arrest. The agency says he was attempting to run over an ICE agent when the officer fired his weapon in what ICE characterizes as self-defense.
According to ICE, Salgado Araujo was an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. Salgado was shot in the abdomen and was taken to a hospital where he died of his wounds. At a press conference today, President Roman Palomares of the League of United American Citizens - LULAC - called ICE's account into question. He said videos and photos shared on social media of the incident don't support ICE's version that Salgado Araujo weaponized his car.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
ROMAN PALOMARES: It is un-American to use lethal force against a human being then lock away the evidence, hide the video, silence the record and expect his family, the people of Houston and the American public to simply nod and say we believe you, because we don't.
SEWARD: Palomares also says ICE's account of what happened in Houston is similar to the description of the events that led to the fatal shooting of Renée Good in Minneapolis.
DETROW: So that's just one of many people, advocacy groups, local politicians who are speaking out. What are they calling for?
SEWARD: Yeah. These organizations and other Texas lawmakers are asking for a full, independent federal investigation of the shooting. They want all of the evidence to be preserved. Democratic Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia, who represents the area where Salgado was killed, demanded transparency.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
SYLVIA GARCIA: We need independent investigations, we need body cameras, clear identification, no mask and an end to paramilitary-style immigration enforcement in our streets. These are very basic, basic standards of accountability.
SEWARD: ICE has not yet responded to our requests for comment regarding public criticism of their account of the shooting or to the calls for an independent investigation.
DETROW: OK. So no further response yet from ICE. But you spoke with the family. What did they tell you?
SEWARD: Yeah, I did. I was able to speak with Ronaldo and Lorenzo Jr., two of Salgado Araujo's sons, this morning. They were incredibly emotional. Ronaldo saw a video on social media of the shooting. And he said it took hours to find out where his father had been taken and to learn that he had died. We also learned today that Salgado Araujo was driving to work with three other men, including Salgado Araujo's brother. They were all detained.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
RONALDO SALGADO: All three men were rounded up. I have not heard from them. But I hope that they are able to provide their own statements to prove that my father feared for his life as unmarked cars followed my dad, who only wanted to get back to work and back to us.
DETROW: What else do we know about him? And also, what do we know about what happens next?
SEWARD: Yeah, Ronaldo said the family had been in Houston since the early '90s. His father worked in construction and recently began the process of getting his own work permit. Ronaldo described his father as a hardworking man pursuing the American dream. The family has been here, as I said, since the early '90s, and his father made a living building homes in the area for decades. The FBI said on Tuesday they're investigating the shooting. Today, Houston's Mayor John Whitmire said they will leave the investigation to federal authorities.
DETROW: That's Houston Public Media's Bianca Seward. Thank you so much.
SEWARD: Thanks for having me.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.