Idaho police shot nonverbal, autistic, intellectually disabled juvenile with cerebral palsy nine-times resulting in leg amputation

Dozens of protestors gathered outside the Pocatello Police Department following an officer-involved shooting, according to EastIdahoNews.com.

Their signs read “Bloody Hands, Dirty Cowards,” “Do Better PPD,” “Hold PPD accountable” and “What are Tasers for?”

The protest comes after a teen identified as 17-year-old Victor Perez was repeatedly shot by multiple police officers April 5, 2025 near the 700 block of North Harrison Avenue. Video of the shooting was widely circulated on social media.

The family tells EastIdahoNews.com that Perez has cerebral palsy.

Idaho police officers opened fire from behind a chain-link fence just seconds after exiting their patrol cars and critically wounded a teenage boy — described by his family as nonverbal, autistic and intellectually disabled — as he stepped toward them with a knife, video from a witness shows.

Seventeen-year-old Perez, remained hospitalized in critical condition after having nine bullets removed from his body and having his leg amputated, Ana Vazquez, his aunt, told The Associated Press. Doctors were planning tests on his brain activity.

The video, sent to EastIdahoNews.com by multiple people, shows Perez lying on the ground outside of a home in the front yard. He appears to be holding a knife or some other object and is arguing with a woman, who attempts to get the item from the Perez’s hands.

A neighbor filming the incident is on the phone with a police dispatcher and says Perez, who was on the ground, was hit in the head by a log. Police arrived at the scene at 5:25 p.m., according to a police news release, and four officers get out of their vehicles with guns drawn.

Video shows them yelling at Perez and telling him to drop his weapon. The officers were in front of a chainlink fence and not in the yard. Perez appears to stand up and move toward the officers, who then fire multiple shots.

“Immediate life-saving measures” were performed before Perez was taken to Portneuf Medical Center, according to the news release.

It’s unclear what led to the situation in the front yard, but many say police were too aggressive in their response to the situation.

The Pocatello Police Department remained quiet Sunday and did not release any updates about the shooting. EastIdahoNews.com requested additional information from the department and the city’s public information officer, but our messages were not returned.

The shooting is under investigation by the East Idaho Critical Incident Task Force. Police have asked for public’s patience as the investigation unfolds.

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