Autistic teen critically injured by police shooting in Idaho
- Victor Perez, a 17-year-old with autism, was shot nine times by police in his backyard after officers responded to a disturbance.
- Eyewitness accounts indicate that the police did not attempt to deescalate the situation before opening fire.
- The incident has led to protests and calls for accountability from the community, highlighting concerns about police responses to mental health crises.
In Idaho, a 17-year-old autistic boy named Victor Perez was critically injured when police officers shot him multiple times. This incident occurred during the late evening hours of Saturday, shortly after police responded to a 911 call reporting a physical disturbance involving Perez and two others in the family’s yard. Eyewitnesses reported that Perez, who was described by his family as nonverbal and intellectually disabled, was holding a knife while struggling with his sister who was trying to take it from him when officers arrived on the scene. Within seconds of their arrival, the police drew their weapons and opened fire, striking Perez nine times and leading to his hospitalization in critical condition. Due to the severity of his injuries, he required a leg amputation and remains in a coma since the shooting, prompting widespread outrage and protests from the community. Protests outside the Pocatello Police Department have manifested in response to the incident, with community members questioning the police's use of lethal force on a minor during what was perceived as a mental health crisis. Following the shooting, the four officers involved were placed on administrative leave while investigations commenced. Mayor Brian Blad stated that they would thoroughly investigate the shooting, and officers indicated that they acted in quick response to a perceived immediate threat, claiming that Perez approached them with the knife, thus justifying their actions. The family expressed their deep concerns over the police response and emphasized that the situation could have been deescalated. Perez's family had never previously called law enforcement in relation to his disabilities, reflecting on the distressing nature of the episode. The community is left grappling with the repercussions of the shooting and the implications regarding police interactions with individuals who have developmental disabilities.