A 17-year-old autistic boy, Victor Perez, has died after being shot several times by police in Idaho. Victor, who was nonverbal and had cerebral palsy, passed away on Saturday after being removed from life support, according to his family.
His aunt, Ana Vazquez, told CNN that he had been in a coma since the 5th of April, and doctors found no brain activity after several operations, including one to amputate his leg. “He had nine bullets removed,” she said. “They shot him so many times, and he couldn’t even talk.”
The police shooting happened in Pocatello, a city in southwest Idaho. Police had received a 911 call about a man with a knife who appeared to be drunk and chasing someone. But it was actually Victor, who was not intoxicated. His aunt said his unsteady walking was due to his disabilities. Family members were already trying to take the knife—a large kitchen knife—away from him when officers arrived.
A neighbour recorded a video that shows Victor had already fallen in the yard when four officers turned up. According to CNN, the police shouted at him to drop the knife. Victor stood up and slowly moved toward the fence, but officers fired at him just 12 seconds after arriving. The footage shows no attempt to calm the situation.
“Everybody was trying to tell the police, no, no,” Vazquez told CNN. “Those four officers didn’t care. They didn’t ask what was happening, what the situation was. How’s he going to jump the fence when he can barely walk?”
The four officers involved have not been named and have been placed on administrative leave. Bannock County Prosecutor Ian Johnson told CNN via email that an independent investigation is being handled by the Eastern Idaho Critical Incident Team. He said the results will be reviewed by a different agency outside the county “to ensure independent and objective consideration.”
Pocatello’s Mayor, Brian Blad, released a statement expressing sympathy. “We recognise the pain and grief this incident has caused in our community,” he said. He added that the city is taking the matter “with the seriousness and thoroughness it deserves.”
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The investigation is still ongoing, and a vigil was planned outside the hospital in Pocatello where Victor was being treated.
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