Four officers from the Pocatello Police Department shot and injured a man outside a home in Pocatello after police said he was 'armed with a knife'.
Police in eastern Idaho shot 17-year-old Victor Perez, who is nonverbal and autistic, nine times.
The shooting, captured on video, prompted protests questioning why officers did not de-escalate first.
The Eastern Idaho Critical Incident Task Force is investigating; Perez remains in critical condition.
Within seconds of arriving on the scene, US police officers shot a teenager, whose family says is non-verbal and autistic, as he moved forward with a knife from behind a chain-link fence, a witness’ video shows.
Officers in the state of Idaho shot the 17-year-old, identified by his family to the Associated Press as Victor Perez, nine times outside his home in Pocatello, leaving him in critical condition and one of his legs amputated, they said.
The shooting on Saturday prompted protests outside the Pocatello Police Department, with many locals questioning on social media why the four officers appeared to make no effort to de-escalate the situation before resorting to lethal force.
“When the officers came, they didn’t even ask what’s going on,” Ana Vazquez, the teen’s aunt, told KIFI TV, adding that her nephew had the brain of a 5-year-old and “can hardly walk”.
“Nine bullets – they took nine bullets out at that kid,” she said tearfully.
Police responded after receiving a 911 call reporting a domestic disturbance involving a person who appeared intoxicated and was wielding a knife, the police department said in a statement on social media. Vazquez told the AP that her nephew, who also has cerebral palsy, staggered when he walked because of his disabilities and was not intoxicated.
The police shot him from behind a fence. Photo / Still from video
The video, provided by witness Brad Andres to the AP, shows Perez lying on the ground. Every so often, he brandishes a knife at a woman attempting to engage him and using a long pole to knock the weapon from his hand.
The video shows four police officers running toward Perez with their guns drawn, surrounding him from behind the chain-link fence. When Perez stands up about 12 seconds after their arrival with the knife, police begin shooting at him with the woman still behind him.
“In situations like this, officers must make decisions in seconds,” Pocatello Police Chief Roger Schei said in a video statement posted on social media Monday. “They assess threats, not just to themselves, but to those nearby. In this case, two individuals were within a few feet of an armed, noncompliant individual. The risk was immediate and the situation rapidly evolving.”
Andres told the AP that he had his son call 911 while he filmed the encounter from across the street. He questioned why the officers, who “appeared to be like a death squad or a firing squad”, didn’t pause to assess the situation.
“They never once asked, ‘What is the situation, how can we help?’ They ran up with their guns drawn, they triggered a mentally disabled person to react, and when he reacted ... they shot him,” he said.
“This was really traumatic for me to watch, for me and my son to be a part of,” Andres said. “My son was the one that called the 911 with the hopes of helping the family deal with the situation that was going on. He had no idea that what was going to transpire.”
Victor Perez. Photo / Supplied by family
The Eastern Idaho Critical Incident Task Force, made up of outside agencies, is investigating the shooting, Schei said, adding that the police department would not answer further questions because of the open investigation.
“We understand the concern and emotion surrounding the officer-involved shooting,” Schei said.
“… We are also aware of the video circulating online, which shows only one angle. The full picture requires careful review of all facts and evidence.”
Schei did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether the officers were placed on leave. He also did not respond to questions about what non-lethal options the officers had access to or what de-escalation training they undergo. However, the department’s policy manual states that some officers are equipped with Tasers and that all officers must qualify annually with other less lethal weapons.
Vazquez told the AP that Perez’s 16-year-old sister had yelled to the police not to shoot because Perez is “special,” but it is unclear whether the officers heard.
Doctors were planning to test his brain activity. “We don’t know if he’s going to wake up,” Vazquez said.
