Idaho officers shoot autistic teenager while responding to domestic call

POCATELLO, Idaho — A 17-year-old autistic teenager is in critical condition after Pocatello Police shot him several times on Saturday evening.

Police officers responded to a physical disturbance at a property in Pocatello at 5:25 p.m. on Saturday, according to a press release from the Pocatello Police Department. Police said it was reported that the boy lying on the ground was “intoxicated and in possession of a knife.”

Police shot Victor Perez, 17, shortly after arriving at the scene when Perez stood up from the ground. The boy’s family told our sister station, Local News 8, that officers shot him nine times.

The family said that Perez had behavioral incidents in the past due to his condition. Neighbors said they called the police to help the family de-escalate the situation.

“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,” Brad Andres told said, a witness to the shooting. “So this wasn’t a really dangerous situation, and the police were more called to come in and help the family de-escalate and get it under control.”

Perez is currently being treated at Portneuf Medical Center, according to Local News 8. The medical staff had to cut off the boy’s leg, and he remains in critical condition.

“He was not going after police,” said Ana Vazquez, Perez’s aunt. “He (has an) impairment. He can barely walk.”

Around two dozen people rallied outside the Pocatello Police Department building on Sunday in support of Perez, according to Local News 8.

Pocatello Police said the East Idaho Critical Incident Task Force is investigating the incident. The department told Local News 8 that it would not respond until the investigation was complete.