Idaho police shoot and critically wound knife wielding teen

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Idaho police officers opened fire from behind a chain-link fence just seconds after exiting their patrol cars and critically wounded a teenage boy — described by his family as nonverbal, autistic and intellectually disabled — as he stepped toward them with a knife, video from a witness shows.

Seventeen-year-old Victor Perez, 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. Doctors were planning tests on his brain activity.

"We don't know if he's going to wake up," she said.

The shooting Saturday in Pocatello outraged the boy's family and neighbors as well as viewers online who questioned why the officers opened fire within about 12 seconds of exiting their patrol cars while making no apparent effort to de-escalate the situation or use less lethal weapons. Dozens of protesters gathered outside the police department Sunday, eastidahonews.com reported.

There is no indication the police were aware of the boy's conditions.

The police barely spoke to anyone," Vazquez said. "They just said get back and they just, they shot to kill."

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," he said, adding, "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.“

The events that led to the shooting
Brad Andres, who took the video, has an auto shop nearby and told the AP he noticed a disturbance when he stepped outside to take a phone call around 5:20 Saturday. His 19-year-old son, Bridger, called 911 and reported it as a domestic dispute in a backyard.

The 911 caller said an apparently intoxicated man - the teen - was wielding a kitchen knife and periodically chasing a man and woman in the yard, 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 911 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.

Perez was still on the ground when police arrived at about 5:25 p.m. Four officers ran to the fence - three pulling out handguns and another pointing what appeared to be a shotgun. They ordered him to drop the knife. Instead, the boy stood up and began taking steps toward them with the knife in his hand. The officers shot repeatedly.

Andres said the police "appeared to be like a death squad or a firing squad," adding: "They never once asked, 'What is the situation, how can we help?' They ran up with their guns drawn, they triggered a mentally disabled person to react and when he reacted ... they shot him."

Questions for the police
The Pocatello Police Department did not immediately respond to emails seeking further comment Tuesday, including questions about whether the officers were carrying Tasers or other less lethal options.

According to the department's policy manual, all uniformed officers who have been trained to use Tasers must carry them, as well as either a baton or pepper spray.

Vazquez said Perez walked with a staggering gait because of his disabilities; he was not intoxicated. The boy's 16-year-old sister yelled to the police not to shoot and that he was "special," Vazquez said.

It was unclear if the police heard any such comments, which were not apparent on the video.

"He has the brain of a little kid, about five years old," Vazquez told CBS affiliate KIFI-TV. "He is disabled. He can hardly walk. People around here, they can tell you that."

ASAN has long maintained that the culture of policing makes police a threat to disabled people in the US, especially disabled people of color like Victor Perez. It teaches police officers to immediately take control of any situation using lethal force. Disabled people may not be able to immediately comply with police demands. As we see in this case, police can respond even to a delay in obeying an order with deadly violence. Too often, police see any person acting unusually as a danger to them and the public. This is why “autism trainings” for police officers are not the solution to police violence against autistic people; an hour of learning about autism cannot overcome months of training that teaches police that in uncertain situations, the first thing they should do is escalate force to exert control. There have been cases where police who have been through autism-specific trainings still went on to shoot and kill autistic people they were called to help.

Instead of relying only on police training as a band-aid solution, we must address police violence through multiple systemic changes. We need to hold police accountable through community oversight, and by removing qualified immunity, which makes it difficult or impossible for victims of police violence to sue when their rights are violated. We need to reduce police officers’ ability to do harm — for example, by taking weapons of war away from police departments. We need to promote non-police alternatives such as crisis intervention teams made up of medics, counselors or social workers, including by providing the funding necessary to make these approaches effective. We need federal, state, and local governments to spend fewer community tax dollars on police budgets and more on programs that support our communities’ mental and physical health. We must address the white supremacy at the root of police violence. And we must change the culture of policing and policies around use of force so that they no longer encourage police to shoot first and ask questions later.

We also urge the general public to think twice before calling the police, especially on a disabled person of color. Victor Perez’ family did not call the police, and maintain that they could have worked through the situation without police intervention. A neighbor who saw Victor with a knife in his front yard called the police, leading to disastrous consequences. There are so many ways to deal with conflicts without risking anyone’s life or health by calling the cops. You can start by learning more about alternatives to policing, and by getting to know your neighbors, community, and local resources.