The video of the witness captured the moment when police shot nine times in the mentally and physically disabled 17-year-old in his front yard, leaving behind a fight for his life and his family.
Victor Perez was shot on Saturday at his home in the town of Pocatello, Idaho, seconds after police arrived. His family told local news outlets that he was experiencing a mental health crisis and was swinging a knife around.
Police have not officially identified Perez except to confirm his age, but his family has confirmed his identity to the local press. The family said he had cerebral palsy and affected his ability to walk, and he only spoke limited English.
Local station Kifi reported that the family was told the boy’s left leg was amputated in one of three surgeries at the hospital after the shooting.
A video of an eyewitness posted on Facebook shows a man lying on the ground holding a knife in his garden. “No, no,” you can be seen saying, enlightening him with him, restraining him, or trying to grab a knife.
At the 2:44 mark, the police arrive and four armed officers begin screaming “Drop the knife” from behind the steel garden fence. Perez struggles to stand up before moving towards the police officer who fires at 2:58, followed by a horrifying cry of his family.
Perez’s aunt, Anna Vazquez, told local news station Kifi:
She added that he can calm down while he is upset. “We can always control him,” she told the station.
Police said in a statement Saturday that they were called in response to a “reported disability, including two male subjects and a female,” adding that “one male subject was reported to be drunk and in possession of a knife.”
Pocatello Police Chief Roger Shay held a press conference Monday night where he played 911 Call, warning police of obstruction of property and showed a photo of the knife Perez held. The caller is heard telling the 911 operator that one man is pounding another man with a stick.
Schei said he could not ask questions from the media due to the ongoing investigation. The Eastern Idaho Critical Incident Task Force will begin investigating the shooting, while the Pocatello Police will investigate in parallel.
He said officers gave Perez a “repeated command” to drop the knife.
“He didn’t follow. Instead, he stood up and proceeded towards the officers while he was armed,” Shay said. “At that point, the officer drained the firearm and stopped when the man collapsed.”
Shea defended the officer’s actions and said, “In these circumstances, officers must make decisions in seconds. They must assess the threats not only to themselves but to those nearby.”
“In this case, two individuals were within a few feet of unarmed, non-compliant individuals. The risk was immediate and the situation was evolving rapidly.”
Schei said the officers provided life-saving treatment before being taken to Portonuf Regional Medical Center in Pocatello. He added that police know that the incident “had a profound impact on the community.”
He mentioned the shooting video being circulated online, noting that it only shows one angle and that “all facts and evidence” should be reviewed.
Brad Andres said he filmed the shooting video, which went viral, and told Kifi he didn’t think there was a need to use legal forces.
“He had a really bad day with mental issues, but he wasn’t chasing anyone and everyone could easily get out of reach of his knife. So this was not a really dangerous situation,” he said.
The incident has angered the community, some of whom joined the protests on Sunday outside the Pocatello Police Station.
One of the protesters’ homemade placards reads, “Why was your gun drawn?”
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