Teen with autism fatally shot by police sparks outrage
Seventeen-year-old Victor Perez has died. The teenager, who had autism and cerebral palsy, was shot multiple times by police through a chain-link fence, all because he was holding a kitchen knife.
Perez had been in a coma since April 5, when the incident happened. His aunt, Ana Vazquez, reported that tests showed no brain activity. He underwent several surgeries, during which nine bullets were removed, and his leg was amputated.
Controversial police intervention
Police officers from Pocatello, Idaho, arrived at the family's home after reports of a man with a knife who was allegedly under the influence of alcohol and chasing someone in the yard. It turned out to be 17-year-old Perez, who moved with an unsteady gait due to his condition.
The teenager was indeed holding a large kitchen knife, which the family tried to take from him to prevent self-harm.
A neighbor's video showed that when four police officers arrived, Perez was lying on the ground. The officers immediately ordered him to drop the knife, but he stood up and began to move toward them.
Without attempting to communicate with him, the officers disregarded the chain-link fence separating them and opened fire without warning. Witnesses and recordings indicate that only 12 seconds passed from when the officers exited their vehicle to the first shot.
Community reaction and investigation
Perez's family and Pocatello residents are outraged by the police's actions. They planned a vigil in front of the hospital where Perez was treated. Ana Vazquez emphasized that the officers did not understand the situation and did not attempt to clarify it.
The four police officers have been suspended. Potential charges will be decided after the conclusion of an independent investigation by the Eastern Idaho Critical Incident Team. Prosecutor Ian Johnson stated that the report would be reviewed by an agency outside Bannock County, where this tragic incident occurred.
The Mayor of Pocatello, Brian Blad, expressed sympathy for Perez's family and stressed that the city is taking the matter seriously. Criminal, external, and internal investigations concerning the police-involved shooting are ongoing.
