Stamford man faces deportation after lying about shooting self

STAMFORD — A city man is facing possible deportation after he allegedly shot himself in the leg and lied to police about it.

Francisco Palacios Aguilar, 25, was arrested over the weekend on charges of criminal possession of a firearm, criminal possession of ammunition, unlawful discharge of a firearm, second-degree reckless endangerment and second-degree falsely reporting an incident.

The charges stem from earlier this year when Palacios Aguilar shot himself in the knee, then told police that he had been injured in a drive-by shooting.

Stamford police officer Kerilyn Whitehead wrote in an arrest affidavit that police responded to Stamford Hospital on Jan. 20 on reports of a man, later identified as Palacios Aguilar, suffering from a gunshot wound.

Palacios Aguilar told police he was walking on Greenwich Avenue around 7 p.m. that day when “two masked men” got out of a car, yelled “Hey, Francisco,” then shot him in the leg, got back into the car and fled the scene, according to the warrant.

Palacios Aguilar identified the shooter as a 30year-old Stamford man, Whitehead wrote in the warrant.

However, when police interviewed Palacios Aguilar’s family members, they learned that the 25-year-old had shot himself “by accident” as he was “showing off his gun” to one of them, the warrant said.

After the shooting, Palacios Aguilar hid the gun under a sink in his sister’s house, a family member told police.

Investigators later identified traces of gunshot residue on both Palacios Aguilar’s hands, Whitehead wrote in the warrant.

During the investigation, Palacios Aguilar’s younger brother, Alan, was arrested on a thirddegree hindering prosecution charge after he repeatedly changed his story about what happened when his older brother shot himself, the warrant stated.

Palacios Aguilar was arraigned at the state Superior Court in Stamford on Monday, where a judge set his bond at $150,000.

In the wake of Palacios Aguilar’s arrest this weekend, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also placed a detainer on him. Palacios Aguilar was “ordered to be removed” from the United States on April 20, 2023, according to his warrant.

He is next scheduled to appear in court on May 22.

Palacios Aguilar’s brother was also arraigned on Monday, and is being held on a $50,000 bond. He has a court date of May 22.