Latest news with #EastIdahoCriticalIncidentTaskForce
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Yahoo
Idaho police release body camera video of nonverbal and autistic teen's fatal shooting
Police in Idaho released body-worn and security camera recordings Thursday showing officers fatally shooting a knife-wielding, intellectually disabled teenage boy from the other side of a chain link fence, confirming that they made no effort to de-escalate the situation before opening fire. Victor Perez was autistic and nonverbal and had cerebral palsy, though there is no indication the responding officers were aware of that. The 17-year old was removed from life support and died in a hospital a week after the shooting, and a law firm said Wednesday it intends to file a federal wrongful death suit against the city of Pocatello on behalf of his family. Perez was in a confrontation in his fenced yard with family members who tried to get the blade away from him on April 5 when a neighbor called 911, reporting that an apparently intoxicated man armed with a knife — Perez, who walked with a staggered gait due to his disabilities — was chasing people in the yard. Perez had fallen over and was on the ground when officers arrived. Guns drawn, they repeatedly yelled, 'Drop the knife!' but he instead stood up and began to step toward them. Three officers opened fire with their handguns, while a fourth fired a bean-bag shotgun, officials said Thursday. The shots came just seconds after the officers got out of their vehicles. The city's release of the videos included text slides that stressed that Perez was approaching the officers, who were on the other side of a chain link fence from him, while holding the knife, and that he was close to two family members who were behind him. 'Whether or not Perez had a medical condition or was experiencing a mental health crisis was not provided to dispatch or known to officers,' one slide read. The shooting has outraged community members who questioned why the officers fired without trying to learn more about the situation, use de-escalation techniques or use less-lethal force. About 200 people attended a vigil Saturday morning outside the Pocatello hospital where Perez died, and another crowd of protesters gathered that afternoon outside Pocatello City Hall, which also houses the police department. Police Chief Roger Schei and Mayor Brian Blad have declined to answer questions about the shooting, citing an investigation being conducted by the East Idaho Critical Incident Task Force. The officers' names have not been released. Law enforcement officials say it is not always appropriate for police to use de-escalation techniques, especially when there is danger to the officers or the public or if a subject is not complying with orders. But policing experts who have reviewed cellphone video of Perez's shooting note that there was a fence between the officers and the teen, that they used lethal force instead of Tasers and that they failed to use the basic tactic of backing up to create space between them and Perez. Brad Andres, who recorded video of the shooting on his phone after his son called 911, said the police 'appeared to be like a death squad or a firing squad.' 'They never once asked, 'What is the situation, how can we help?'' he said. 'They ran up with their guns drawn, they triggered a mentally disabled person to react and when he reacted ... they shot him.'
The Independent
18-04-2025
- The Independent
Idaho police release body camera video of nonverbal and autistic teen's fatal shooting
Police in Idaho released body-worn and security camera recordings Thursday showing officers fatally shooting a knife-wielding, intellectually disabled teenage boy from the other side of a chain link fence, confirming that they made no effort to de-escalate the situation before opening fire. Victor Perez was autistic and nonverbal and had cerebral palsy, though there is no indication the responding officers were aware of that. The 17-year old was removed from life support and died in a hospital a week after the shooting, and a law firm said Wednesday it intends to file a federal wrongful death suit against the city of Pocatello on behalf of his family. Perez was in a confrontation in his fenced yard with family members who tried to get the blade away from him on April 5 when a neighbor called 911, reporting that an apparently intoxicated man armed with a knife — Perez, who walked with a staggered gait due to his disabilities — was chasing people in the yard. Perez had fallen over and was on the ground when officers arrived. Guns drawn, they repeatedly yelled, 'Drop the knife!' but he instead stood up and began to step toward them. Three officers opened fire with their handguns, while a fourth fired a bean-bag shotgun, officials said Thursday. The shots came just seconds after the officers got out of their vehicles. The city's release of the videos included text slides that stressed that Perez was approaching the officers, who were on the other side of a chain link fence from him, while holding the knife, and that he was close to two family members who were behind him. 'Whether or not Perez had a medical condition or was experiencing a mental health crisis was not provided to dispatch or known to officers,' one slide read. The shooting has outraged community members who questioned why the officers fired without trying to learn more about the situation, use de-escalation techniques or use less-lethal force. About 200 people attended a vigil Saturday morning outside the Pocatello hospital where Perez died, and another crowd of protesters gathered that afternoon outside Pocatello City Hall, which also houses the police department. Police Chief Roger Schei and Mayor Brian Blad have declined to answer questions about the shooting, citing an investigation being conducted by the East Idaho Critical Incident Task Force. The officers' names have not been released. Law enforcement officials say it is not always appropriate for police to use de-escalation techniques, especially when there is danger to the officers or the public or if a subject is not complying with orders. But policing experts who have reviewed cellphone video of Perez's shooting note that there was a fence between the officers and the teen, that they used lethal force instead of Tasers and that they failed to use the basic tactic of backing up to create space between them and Perez. Brad Andres, who recorded video of the shooting on his phone after his son called 911, said the police 'appeared to be like a death squad or a firing squad.' 'They never once asked, 'What is the situation, how can we help?'' he said. 'They ran up with their guns drawn, they triggered a mentally disabled person to react and when he reacted ... they shot him.'
Associated Press
18-04-2025
- Associated Press
Idaho police release body camera video of nonverbal and autistic teen's fatal shooting
Police in Idaho released body-worn and security camera recordings Thursday showing officers fatally shooting a knife-wielding, intellectually disabled teenage boy from the other side of a chain link fence, confirming that they made no effort to de-escalate the situation before opening fire. Victor Perez was autistic and nonverbal and had cerebral palsy, though there is no indication the responding officers were aware of that. The 17-year old was removed from life support and died in a hospital a week after the shooting, and a law firm said Wednesday it intends to file a federal wrongful death suit against the city of Pocatello on behalf of his family. Perez was in a confrontation in his fenced yard with family members who tried to get the blade away from him on April 5 when a neighbor called 911, reporting that an apparently intoxicated man armed with a knife — Perez, who walked with a staggered gait due to his disabilities — was chasing people in the yard. Perez had fallen over and was on the ground when officers arrived. Guns drawn, they repeatedly yelled, 'Drop the knife!' but he instead stood up and began to step toward them. Three officers opened fire with their handguns, while a fourth fired a bean-bag shotgun, officials said Thursday. The shots came just seconds after the officers got out of their vehicles. The city's release of the videos included text slides that stressed that Perez was approaching the officers, who were on the other side of a chain link fence from him, while holding the knife, and that he was close to two family members who were behind him. 'Whether or not Perez had a medical condition or was experiencing a mental health crisis was not provided to dispatch or known to officers,' one slide read. The shooting has outraged community members who questioned why the officers fired without trying to learn more about the situation, use de-escalation techniques or use less-lethal force. About 200 people attended a vigil Saturday morning outside the Pocatello hospital where Perez died, and another crowd of protesters gathered that afternoon outside Pocatello City Hall, which also houses the police department. Police Chief Roger Schei and Mayor Brian Blad have declined to answer questions about the shooting, citing an investigation being conducted by the East Idaho Critical Incident Task Force. The officers' names have not been released. Law enforcement officials say it is not always appropriate for police to use de-escalation techniques, especially when there is danger to the officers or the public or if a subject is not complying with orders. But policing experts who have reviewed cellphone video of Perez's shooting note that there was a fence between the officers and the teen, that they used lethal force instead of Tasers and that they failed to use the basic tactic of backing up to create space between them and Perez. Brad Andres, who recorded video of the shooting on his phone after his son called 911, said the police 'appeared to be like a death squad or a firing squad.' 'They never once asked, 'What is the situation, how can we help?'' he said. 'They ran up with their guns drawn, they triggered a mentally disabled person to react and when he reacted ... they shot him.'
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Yahoo
Outrage builds as video shows Idaho police shooting a knife-wielding teen across a chain-link fence
Video taken by a witness shows Idaho police officers shooting and critically wounding a teenage boy — described by his family as nonverbal, autistic and intellectually disabled — as he began walking toward them with a knife from the other side of a chain-link fence. The boy, who also has cerebral palsy, remained hospitalized in critical condition Tuesday after having nine bullets removed from his body and having his leg amputated, Ana Vazquez, his aunt, told The Associated Press. 'We don't know if he's going to wake up,' she said. The video has prompted outrage from the boy's family as well as viewers online who questioned why the officers opened fire within about 12 seconds of exiting their patrol cars on Saturday while making no apparent effort to de-escalate the situation. 'This was really traumatic for me to watch, for me and my son to be a part of,' Brad Andres, who recorded the video, told The Associated Press. '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.' Andres' son called 911 around 5:22 p.m. Saturday to report a domestic dispute in a nearby backyard. An apparently intoxicated man was wielding a kitchen knife and periodically chasing a man and woman in the yard, he reported, according to audio of the 911 call released by the Pocatello Police Department. 'He seems pretty drunk," the caller told a dispatcher. "He's just running at them with a knife and then falling over. I think he just stabbed himself, actually.' The caller noted that the people in the yard were not speaking English. 'He looks like he fell on the ground and kind of passed out,' the caller said. The teen was still on the ground when police arrived at about 5:25 p.m. Four officers ran to the fence, ordering him to drop the knife — in English. Instead, the boy stood up and began taking steps toward them with the knife in his hand. The officers shot repeatedly. In a video statement posted to the Pocatello Police Department's Facebook page on Monday, Chief Roger Schei said he wanted to 'provide clarity, share the information we can at this stage and address some misconceptions that have emerged.' 'We understand the concern and emotion surrounding the officer-involved shooting that occurred,' Schei said. Schei said he would not answer questions about the shooting because of an investigation being conducted by the East Idaho Critical Incident Task Force. 'In situations like this, officers must make decisions in seconds,' Schei said. '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.' He added: '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.' ___ Johnson reported from Seattle, Lauer from Philadelphia and Thiessen from Anchorage, Alaska.
NBC News
08-04-2025
- NBC News
Teen fighting for life after police shot him 9 times in his back yard
Eyewitness video captured the moment police shot a mentally and physically disabled 17-year-old nine times in his front yard, leaving him fighting for his life and his family calling for answers. Victor Perez was shot at his home in the town of Pocatello, Idaho, on Saturday, seconds after police arrived. His family told local news outlets he was experiencing a mental health crisis and was brandishing a knife. Police haven't formally identified Perez, except by confirming his age, but his family verified his identity to local news outlets. The family said he has cerebral palsy, affecting his ability to walk, and he only speaks limited English. Local station KIFI reported that the family was told that the boy's left leg was amputated in one of three operations at the hospital after the shooting, where he is still fighting for his life in critical condition. The eyewitness video posted to Facebook shows a person lying on the ground holding a knife in a yard. A woman is seen remonstrating with him, saying "no, no," and attempting to restrain him or grab the knife. At the 2:44 mark, the police arrive, and four armed officers begin shouting, "Drop the knife" from behind the steel garden fence. Perez struggles to stand up before he moves towards the police officers, who open fire at 2:58, followed by the terrified screams of his family. Ana Vazquez, an aunt of Perez, told local news station KIFI: 'He has the brain of a little kid, about five years old. He is disabled. He can hardly walk. People around here, they can tell you that.' She added that while he becomes agitated, he can calm himself down. "We always can control him," she told the station. Police said in a statement on Saturday they were called in response to a "reported physical disturbance involving two male subjects and a female," adding that "it was reported that one of the male subjects was intoxicated and in possession of a knife." Pocatello Police Chief Roger Schei held a Monday night news conference in which he played a 911 call that alerted police to a disturbance at the property and showed a picture of the knife Perez was holding. The caller is heard telling the 911 operator that one man was hitting another with a stick. Schei said he couldn't take questions from the media because of ongoing investigations. The East Idaho Critical Incident Task Force has begun an investigation into the shooting, and Pocatello Police will hold a parallel investigation. He said officers gave "repeated commands" for Perez to drop the knife. "He did not comply — instead he stood up and advanced towards the officers while still armed," Schei said. "At that point officers discharged their firearms, stopping when the male fell." Defending his officers' actions, Schei said: "In situations like this, officers must make decisions in seconds. They assess threats not just to themselves but to those nearby." "In this case, two individuals were within a few feet of an armed non-compliant individual — the risk was immediate and the situation rapidly evolving." Schei said officers provided life-saving treatment before he was taken to Portneuf Regional Medical Center in Pocatello. He added that police were aware that the incident had 'deeply affected the community.' He referred to the video of the shooting circulating online, noting that it only shows one angle and that 'all facts and evidence' should be reviewed. Brad Andres, who says he shot the shooting video that is going viral, told KIFI that he did not believe there was a need to use legal force. "He was having a really bad day with mental issues, but he wasn't chasing anybody, and everybody could easily get out of the reach of his knife. So this wasn't a really dangerous situation," he said. The incident has angered the local community, some of whom joined a protest on Sunday outside the Pocatello Police Department. One of the protesters' homemade placards read, 'Why were your guns drawn?'
