An Idaho community (Pocatello) is outraged after police shoot a disabled teen 9 times only a mere 12 SECONDS after exiting their vehicles.
The teen was lying on the ground with a knife and the community wants the public to know a sturdy 4 foot fence separated the officers from the teen who suffers from cerebral palsy and has the mental capacity of a 5-year-old.
17-year-old Victor Perez remains in critical condition after an incident this weekend that has left an entire Idaho community questioning the officers actions.
Victor is a nonverbal autistic teen who is physically disabled and suffers from cerebral palsy. The shocking incident unfolded on Saturday when Victor was involved in a domestic disturbance with his family. It should be noted the family did not call the police but rather a neighbor who was watching the events unfold.
The caller stated an intoxicated man was periodically chasing a man and woman with a knife in the yard of their home. Victor however was not intoxicated but walked with much difficulty due to his disabilities. The family says they were NEVER in any danger and Victor was just having a bad day. Something that happens often and they know how to handle it. Victor, despite his serious disabilities, is usually a happy-go-lucky kiddo. Unfortunately due to his severe mental and physical disabilities, he has bad days occasionally. Due to his condition, he responds differently than others.
When police arrived on the scene, they ran from their cars with their weapons fully drawn and aimed. One bystander noted that many of the officers already had their fingers near or on the triggers of their guns. Victor was lying on the ground at the time. This is typical due to his difficulty standing and walking. Although several adults were present, police did not ask anyone what was happening or try to assess the situation at all. The five officers immediately ran up to the fence and ordered the youth that was laying down to drop the knife. Victor attempted to stand up and immediately fell back down. It was clear he had physical disabilities at this point. Family and bystanders stated it was obvious that Victor could never jump a fence or even stand up easily. After Victor fell, unable to respond to the officers verbally, he attempted to stand up again which he did with much difficulty. As the knife was in a downward position, officers shot him nine times while Victor's sister screamed "don't shoot him he's special".
The officers opened fire on the youth immediately, striking him 9 times and leaving him in critical condition and clinging to life. Doctors have warned the family to expect the worst as Victor is in a coma and they are trying to find brain activity. Victor has had to have one leg amputated due to the injuries from the shooting.
The family contends and confirmed that Victor was never chasing anyone. In fact, you can see Victor's family approaching him repeatedly while he is lying on the ground with a knife. Victor's loved ones want the public to know he only has the mental capacity of a 5-year-old. He had never interacted with police in his life and did not know how to respond. He was shot for standing up. Standing up is not easy for Victor but the family stated he was simply doing what he thought he should do. They want the public to know it was never a dangerous situation for anyone involved, including officers. Bystanders have stated publicly "the police appeared to be more like a death squad or a firing squad than public servants there to help".
The police refuse to respond to any questions regarding the officers actions. The public and eyewitnesses want to know why tasers or non-lethal forces were not attempted before opening fire on the young man despite the fact he was on the other side of a 4 ft fence. The public is demanding to know why police officers did not try any de-escalation whatsoever. The public also wants to know why none of the officers spoke to any adults on scene. There is a YouTube video of the incident and I will share it in a link below. The Idaho community would like you to notice that it is clear Victor is a small and disabled individual.
There have been many protests by members of the community outside of the Pocatello Police Department as the community demands answers for why the police took such drastic measures before attempting to assess or deescalate the situation.
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