An autistic, nonverbal teenage boy who was shot repeatedly by Idaho police from the opposite facet of a chain-link fence whereas he was holding a knife died Saturday after being faraway from life help, his household mentioned.
Victor Perez, 17, who additionally had cerebral palsy, had been in a coma because the April 5 taking pictures, and checks Friday confirmed that he had no mind exercise, his aunt, Ana Vazquez, informed The Related Press.
He had undergone a number of surgical procedures, with docs eradicating 9 bullets and amputating his leg.
Police within the southeast Idaho metropolis of Pocatello responded to a 911 name reporting that an apparently intoxicated man with a knife was chasing somebody in a yard.
It turned out to be Perez, who was not intoxicated however walked with a staggered gait on account of his disabilities, Vazquez mentioned.
His members of the family had been making an attempt to get the big kitchen knife away from him.
Video taken by a neighbor confirmed that Perez was mendacity within the yard after falling over when 4 officers arrived and rushed to the fence on the fringe of the yard.
They instantly ordered Perez to drop the knife, however as a substitute he stood and started stumbling towards them.
Officers opened fireplace inside about 12 seconds of getting out of their patrol vehicles and made no obvious effort to de-escalate the state of affairs.
“Everybody was trying to tell the police, no, no,” Vazquez mentioned. “Those four officers didn’t care. They didn’t ask what was happening, what was the situation.”
“How’s he going to jump the fence when he can barely walk?” she mentioned.
The taking pictures outraged Perez’s household and Pocatello residents, and about 200 folks attended a vigil Saturday morning outdoors the Pocatello hospital the place he was handled.
One other crowd of protesters gathered outdoors the Pocatello Metropolis Corridor constructing, which additionally homes the police division, on Saturday afternoon.
Police snipers have been stationed on a close-by rooftop in the course of the protest, although no violence was reported.
Lots of the protesters held indicators with phrases like, “Do better, PPD” and “Justice for Victor,” and passing vehicles honked in acknowledgment.
A police spokeswoman didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark from The Related Press.
“Those police broke our family,” Vasquez mentioned on Saturday, shortly after Perez’ dying. “There is no way to explain the pain that we are feeling right now. It’s like our hearts are kind of empty — it’s not full anymore.”
The officers, whose names haven’t been launched, have been positioned on administrative go away.
Selections about whether or not prices must be filed towards them can be made after an unbiased investigation by the Jap Idaho Essential Incident Group, Bannock County Prosecutor Ian Johnson informed the AP by way of electronic mail.
“When that investigation is complete a report will be submitted for review,” he mentioned. “In a continued effort to ensure independent and objective consideration, said report will be reviewed by an agency outside of Bannock County.”
Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad mentioned in an announcement Friday, after the household introduced that Perez had no mind exercise, that officers’ ideas and prayers have been with them.
“We recognize the pain and grief this incident has caused in our community,” Blad mentioned.
Blad mentioned Thursday that town was “addressing this matter with the seriousness and thoroughness it deserves and with the appropriate respect for the gravity of the situation.”
“The criminal, external, and internal investigations regarding the officer-involved shooting are underway, which is why we cannot answer questions out of concern of interfering with or compromising the investigation,” he mentioned.
Perez liked watching skilled wrestling, consuming fries and taking walks whereas holding his mom’s hand, Vasquez mentioned.
He would at all times discover when Vasquez painted her nails his favourite colour blue, or when she wore a brand new weave, exhibiting his admiration by touching her hair, she mentioned.
“I’m going to miss him when he used to get in his weird moods, and I used to put him to bed,” she mentioned. “He wouldn’t want to sleep and would wake up again, and I would have to walk him back to the bed. I would promise him, ‘Hey, I’ll be back tomorrow but you need to lay down and sleep.’”
Vasquez mentioned she didn’t know what was subsequent for the household, apart from that an post-mortem can be carried out on Monday. Proper now, she mentioned, they want a second to relaxation.
