A disturbing police bodycam video from Pocatello, Idaho has sparked national outrage, showing officers shooting a 17-year-old autistic boy nine times during a confrontation outside his family’s home. The incident, which left the teen hospitalized and permanently injured, has prompted urgent questions about law enforcement’s response to individuals with disabilities.
The teen, identified as Victor Perez, had been reported by his family during a mental health crisis on April 5. When officers arrived, they encountered Victor crouched on the lawn, visibly distressed, and holding what was described as a knife. Despite repeated commands to drop the weapon, the boy’s responses were limited. Bodycam footage shows Victor rising to his feet and slowly moving forward before police opened fire.
Victor, who is nonverbal and has cerebral palsy, was struck multiple times in front of family members and neighbors. His family insists he was not capable of understanding the commands shouted at him. “He has the mind of a small child,” his aunt Ana Vazquez said in an interview. “He didn’t pose a threat. He could barely walk.”
The aftermath of the shooting was immediate and devastating. Victor underwent emergency surgery, and his right leg was later amputated due to the injuries. He remains in critical condition. The community has since rallied around his family, holding vigils and protests outside the Pocatello Police Department. Local residents say the shooting was both unjustified and avoidable.
Police Chief Roger Schei acknowledged the shooting in a brief press conference. “We understand the emotion surrounding this incident,” he said, noting that the matter is being investigated by the East Idaho Critical Incident Task Force. However, critics say that’s not enough. Shaun King, a prominent civil rights activist, tweeted, “This is what happens when police are trained to escalate, not de-escalate. This child needed help, not bullets.”
Legal experts have echoed those sentiments. Professor Seth Stoughton, a former officer and use-of-force specialist, told reporters that the video shows no immediate threat to the officers’ lives at the moment shots were fired. “It looks like an excessive and disproportionate response,” he said, emphasizing that the teen’s pace and posture did not justify lethal force.
Disability rights advocates say this tragedy reflects a much larger crisis in policing. According to the Ruderman Family Foundation, nearly half of people killed by police in the U.S. have a disability. That includes autism, mental illness, or physical impairments—conditions that often require specialized response strategies, not weapons.
Victor’s story is eerily similar to past cases, including the 2020 police shooting of Linden Cameron, a 13-year-old with autism in Salt Lake City. Linden survived, but his case drew national headlines and sparked reforms in officer training. Advocates say Idaho must now follow suit—or risk another preventable tragedy.
Despite public outcry, Pocatello officials have not yet released all footage or identified the officers involved. The family has retained legal counsel and is considering a lawsuit. “We want accountability,” Ana Vazquez said. “We want justice for Victor. He should be home right now, playing with his cousins, not fighting for his life.”
On social media, calls for justice continue to grow. The hashtag #JusticeForVictor has trended across platforms, with thousands demanding better mental health responses and a shift in how law enforcement deals with vulnerable citizens.
For now, Victor’s family remains at his bedside, praying for recovery. Their grief is compounded by a sense of betrayal—trusting authorities to help their child, only to watch that trust shattered by bullets. As public pressure mounts, Pocatello faces a reckoning over what it means to serve and protect.
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