A nonverbal autistic 17-year-old, Victor Perez, was reportedly shot nine times by Idaho police officers on Saturday, April 5, after responding to a physical disturbance involving him and his mother. Two weeks later, Perez succumbed to his injuries, with doctors having performed a leg amputation due to the gunshot wounds he suffered.
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According to The Associated Press via the New York Post, Perez was removed from life support by his family after being in a coma. According to Perez's aunt, Ana Vazquez, tests showed that he had no brain activity.
Perez, who suffered from cerebral palsy, had to undergo multiple surgeries, which removed nine bullets from his body and amputated his legs.
According to the
Pocatello Police Department, officers responded to a reported physical disturbance on April 5. The disturbance involved two male suspects and a female. One of the suspects was reported to be intoxicated and in possession of a knife.Upon arrival, at 5:25 p.m., officers shot the "intoxicated" suspect a total of nine times. It was later revealed that the shot suspect was 17-year-old Victor Perez. Furthermore, Perez was not intoxicated but rather walking as he normally would due to his condition, as per Vazquez.
A Tragic Shooting
Vazquez furtherly detailed the incident, saying that police officers told Perez to drop the knife. When he didn't comply and began stumbling toward them, they opened fire. However, she alleges that officers made no effort to de-escalate the situation.
"Everybody was trying to tell the police, no, no," Vazquez told the AP. "Those four officers didn't care. They didn't ask what was happening, what was the situation."
Bannock County Prosecutor Ian Johnson told the AP that an independent investigation will be carried out by the Eastern Idaho Critical Incident Team. After the investigation is concluded, it is possible that charges could be filed against the responding officers.
"When that investigation is complete a report will be submitted for review," Johnson said. "In a continued effort to ensure independent and objective consideration, said report will be reviewed by an agency outside of Bannock County."
Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad said that the city was "addressing this matter with the seriousness and thoroughness it deserves."
"The criminal, external, and internal investigations regarding the officer-involved shooting are underway," Blad said, as per CNN. "Which is why we cannot answer questions out of concern of interfering with or compromising the investigation."
Protesters outside the Pocatello City Hall building held signs asking for justice following Perez's shooting.
