ID - 17-year old with autism in critical condition after being shot by police while wielding knife - Pocatello, April 10, 2025

[Chimera]

Police said they were not informed that Perez had a medical condition or was experiencing a mental health crisis. But documents obtained by KTVB show that officers had been called to the Perez home at least twice in the months leading up to the shooting.

The first call, on Dec. 2, 2024, involved a report of a mentally disabled juvenile assaulting his mother. When officers arrived, Perez was non-verbal and holding his mother on the floor. A family member told police the teen had not been taking his prescribed medication since moving from Chicago a couple months prior.


A second call came on Feb. 11, 2025. This time, Perez’s grandfather said he was struggling to control him. Officers noted in their report that Perez was visibly upset and making fists. His behavior included mock arrest hand gestures.
Again, no one was arrested, and officers referred the family to mental health services. The report states the incident was forwarded to child protective services to see if they could visit the home and evaluate.

“It just confirms our notion that the officers had notice, and it confirms what we see as the objective factor, showing that Victor Perez was dealing with a mental health crisis, and his family was trying to help him through it. And really that his family was just, they're looking for assistance," said James Cook, the family's attorney.

Records reveal prior police calls to home of autistic teen shot by Pocatello officers

Documents obtained by KTVB show that officers had been called to the Perez home at least twice in the months leading up to the shooting.

www.ktvb.com

Pbm.
Thanks for the link.
Oh my goodness.

So, from the article, the cops who shot Victor knew exactly what and whom they were dealing with.
So sad, this didn't have to happen this way at all.
What happened to talking calmly and de-escalating the situation ?

The police need better training and they should've understood from the prior visits that Victor was autistic and non-verbal.
A social worker who was trained is what was needed, not the police.
Imo.

 

[Chimera]

Body-worn camera footage shows Idaho police shooting autistic teen 16 seconds after arriving

Victor Perez, 17, was holding a knife at the time, but was separated from the officers by a metal fence. He died in a Pocatello, Idaho, hospital a week after the shooting.

www.nbcnews.com

Thanks for linking that, @weepingangel .
I think.
The footage is hard to watch !

Separated by a fence, so he could not have injured the cops.
So why didn't they climb over that fence and de-escalate by gently removing the knife and getting him treatment ?
I am pro-LE, but there were much safer ways to handle this, the cops should have known he was autistic and non verbal and dealt with it in a non-lethal manner.... as the other article I've re-linked shows those exact same cops had been called out to the house before, and thus knew what they were dealing with.
There needs to be better training for police to not react so quickly with a person like Victor who had disabilities, and learn to de-escalate first.

I think about this in many other cases where the police should know better.
Step back, wait, (Victor was behind the fence and not a danger to anyone) and have the person they've been called about to be evaluated first to see if they're a threat or just needing a trained social worker or therapist to calm them down.
There are other steps that can be taken before shooting.

The footage of the one cop with the rifle was esp. alarming.
Why not at least use rubber bullets which are non-lethal ?
Imo.

 

[Chimera]

Police release body camera video of nonverbal, 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.

www.cleveland19.com

April 18, 2025

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.

*****
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.

See linked article for more.

Bbm.
This sounds like cya mode.
Victor was never a danger to anyone except maybe himself, as he was intellectually disabled and non-verbal.
The reason for Victor's own family not advising cops of his autism are linked in the next article below this one.
The cops arrived that day knowing exactly what was going on.
Victor was not a threat.

Police said they were not informed that Perez had a medical condition or was experiencing a mental health crisis. But documents obtained by KTVB show that officers had been called to the Perez home at least twice in the months leading up to the shooting.

The first call, on Dec. 2, 2024, involved a report of a mentally disabled juvenile assaulting his mother. When officers arrived, Perez was non-verbal and holding his mother on the floor. A family member told police the teen had not been taking his prescribed medication since moving from Chicago a couple months prior.


A second call came on Feb. 11, 2025. This time, Perez’s grandfather said he was struggling to control him. Officers noted in their report that Perez was visibly upset and making fists. His behavior included mock arrest hand gestures.
Again, no one was arrested, and officers referred the family to mental health services. The report states the incident was forwarded to child protective services to see if they could visit the home and evaluate.

“It just confirms our notion that the officers had notice, and it confirms what we see as the objective factor, showing that Victor Perez was dealing with a mental health crisis, and his family was trying to help him through it. And really that his family was just, they're looking for assistance," said James Cook, the family's attorney.

Records reveal prior police calls to home of autistic teen shot by Pocatello officers

Documents obtained by KTVB show that officers had been called to the Perez home at least twice in the months leading up to the shooting.

www.ktvb.com

Bbm.
So my point is that those same officers were called to the home and they knew what Victors' disabilities were and how to handle him.
Some lawsuits are unfounded and even frivolous, but in this case I don't think so.
Imo.