Protest following officer-involved shooting; video spreads on social media
Published at | Updated at
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article has been updated to include the victim’s name, age and parts of his medical history. The video in the player above is graphic and shows the shooting that occurred Saturday evening. EastIdahoNews.com has blurred portions of the footage. Viewer discretion is advised.
POCATELLO — Dozens of protestors gathered outside the Pocatello Police Department Sunday afternoon following an officer-involved shooting on Saturday night.
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 Saturday evening on the 700 block of North Harrison Avenue. Video of the shooting was widely circulated on social media Sunday.
The family tells EastIdahoNews.com that Perez has cerebral palsy.
RELATED | One man hospitalized after officer-involved shooting
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.
His condition was unknown as of Sunday evening. A second video of Perez receiving aid from emergency responders was also circulating on social media on Sunday.
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.
EastIdahoNews.com comment boards are a place for open, honest, and civil communication between readers regarding the news of the day and issues facing our communities. We encourage commenters to stay on topic, use positive and constructive language, and be empathetic to the feelings of other commenters. THINK BEFORE YOU POST. Click here for more details on our commenting rules.