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Victor Perez, a 17-year-old nonverbal autistic teenager with cerebral palsy, passed away on April 12, 2025, after being shot nine times by police officers in Pocatello, Idaho, on April 5, 2025. The police were responding to a 911 call that reported an intoxicated man with a knife who was chasing individuals in a yard. The caller also mentioned that the people in the yard were not speaking English. Ana Vazquez, Perez's aunt, asserted that he was not intoxicated but walked with a staggered gait due to his disabilities. Family members were trying to disarm him. Video footage from witnesses indicates that just seconds after their arrival, and approximately 12 to 16 seconds after exiting their patrol vehicles, four officers opened fire on Perez, who was positioned behind a chain-link fence and holding a knife. The officers repeatedly commanded him to drop the knife, but no other instructions were discernible. Perez's family indicated that he had the mental capacity of a 5-year-old and could typically be calmed down. He underwent several surgeries, had nine bullets extracted, and his leg amputated before being declared brain dead and subsequently removed from life support. The Pocatello Police Department's policy manual details the responses of crisis intervention teams and de-escalation strategies, stating that officers should consider that 'taking no action or passively monitoring the situation may be the most reasonable response to a mental health crisis.' Additionally, the department has established policies regarding the use of force, which require officers to assess the 'immediacy and severity' of a threat alongside the individual's 'ability to understand and comply with officer commands.'
As a result of his disability, it is highly possible he became over stimulated as the officers were yelling at him to put the knife down. His inability to convey his emotions further worsened the situation for not only Perez but for the officers as well. Police officers are honestly just starting to get the exposure and training needed to recognize the signs of autism. In a similar crisis, a CJ first responder would have observed an individual who appeared to be afraid and very confused at what was going on. Rather than pointing a hundred guns at the individual holding a knife, it would have been a good practice to lower the guns, lights, and have one person carefully approach. Their de-escalation tactics were not successful as the police officers should use the minimum amount of force when dealing with citizens, 9 shots is an over kill, especially since he was a child.
A more ethical way to handle this considering he did have a knife was to tazze him or just have two officers take him down. My wife is an army vet and she talks about one to one combat as well as drills she was taught in the military for different types of combat including fighting with knives. I'm sure there were two officers who could have taken him down and obtained the knife before the shots were fired. Another issue with this is the society we live in, minorities don't stand a chance against police officers. Many may not agree but the facts validate my point! Need Assignment Help?