Protests mount after Victor Perez, Pocatello, Idaho autistic teen shot 9 times by cops responding to domestic call amid questions of police brutality.
A local Idaho community have demanded an inquiry amid protests into the shooting of a 17 year old Pocatello autistic ‘disabled’ teen being shot up to 9 times and critically injured during a domestic incident call.
Victor Perez according to reports emerged out of his 3rd surgery following a Saturday April 5 shooting at the hands of police responding to a report of a physical disturbance at the 17 year old’s family home just on 5.25 p.m.
Idaho police shoot Hispanic autistic teen when responding to domestic call.
Victor Perez was not going after police—he’s disabled & can barely walk.
“I called police to help family de-escalate situation,” cried neighbor. “We were trying to help, not bring a firing squad down to… pic.twitter.com/nSMEpyJEb1
— LongTime🤓FirstTime👨💻 (@LongTimeHistory) April 7, 2025
Why couldn’t Pocatello cops de-escalate acting out autistic teen?
Cops had received a report of two males, one of which was intoxicated and in possession of a knife, and a female involved in a physical altercation, the Pocotello Police Department said in a press release on Saturday.
According to a neighbor who posted the ensuing scene, they had witnessed the devolving scene across the road from their own residence and had hoped by calling police that cops would ‘de-escalate’ matters. Except they didn’t.
Eyewitness video showed Victor Perez rolling on the ground and waving what police say was a knife at a woman believed to be his mother, Local News 8 reported.
The video shows four police officers running up to the fence and quickly drawing their weapons while shouting ‘Get on the ground’ at the boy.
Upon the teen standing up, cops fired up to 9 shots, striking Perez, footage showed.
‘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,’ neighbor Brad Andres told Local News 8.
Perez’s family say the teen has behavioral incidents because of his autism as well as mental and physical disabilities.
A woman, identified as the teen’s aunt, described Perez as being autistic and having an ‘impairment’ and ‘barely able to walk.’
The injuries from the shooting were so severe that the teen’s leg was amputated, with Perez remaining in critical condition according to the teen’s family. Life-saving measures were immediately performed on the boy, authorities said.
Protesters are rallying outside the Pocatello Police Department in strong support of a 17-year-old Hispanic autistic teen with physical disabilities who was unjustly shot by police during a local domestic incident.
According to the family, the teen was shot nine times and is now… pic.twitter.com/q8MNfZrkff
— LongTime🤓FirstTime👨💻 (@LongTimeHistory) April 7, 2025
Allegations of police brutality
The shooting has prompted local outrage, with several community members lining up outside the Pocatello Police Department building protesting what they describe as police brutality.
‘I can’t imagine anyone in the community trusting police after this. They, again, were called to help with a minor having a mental health episode in his front yard, and they put him on death’s door — he’s in the hospital fighting for his life,’ one protester, Dylan Harrison, told the outlet.
Commented Harley Schroyer, ‘I, as a 18 year old in my first human service job, was trained to deescalate disabled clients with weapons. And I could do it, successfully. I did it multiple times- even had a client throw knives at me. And I still could deescalate. Are you telling us that the police are too incompetent to do the same?’
While Yeaman Trish commented, ‘There is no justification for what we all witnessed in that video. 4 officers shooting at one minor. Y’all are trigger happy and need more training in real life situations. You have no business holding an oath to serve and protect with this mentality. Get out of office if you can sleep good at night knowing you did this.’
Read a placard held by a protester, ‘Bloody hands, dirty cowards.’
Cops have asked for the public’s patience while the incident is investigated further by a critical incident task force.
‘We respectfully ask for the public’s patience as the investigation unfolds. In the meantime, we advise individuals to avoid the area while the investigation is ongoing. Further details will be provided as they become available,‘ the Pocatello Police Department said in a follow up press release on Monday. </p
