POCATELLO, Idaho — New information has come to light regarding the fatal police shooting of Victor Perez, an autistic teen with physical disabilities, in Pocatello. Multiple police reports obtained by our sister station, Local News 8, reveal that Pocatello Police had responded to the Perez home multiple times due to Victor’s violent outbursts prior to the shooting in April.
The first documented encounter occurred on Dec. 2, 2024, when Victor reportedly pinned his mother to the ground. Officers managed to calm the situation, according to the report, and Victor was handcuffed after his mother explained that he was mentally disabled and had a history of violence. She told police about an incident a few weeks prior where Victor had strangled her, though she chose not to press charges.
On Feb. 25, two months before the shooting, police were again called when Victor's family struggled to manage his behavior. The family told police that they had been having issues obtaining Victor's medication, which they believed was contributing to his aggression.
During this visit, Victor's mother requested that police take him to the hospital for evaluation, but police told her they didn't have legal justification to do so. They did, however, report the situation to Child Protective Services for further evaluation.
Much of the information in the police reports remains redacted, raising questions about whether officers responding to the shooting were informed of Victor's condition and how this information may affect the investigation into the use of force. The 911 call, which was released in April, does, however, confirm that dispatch did not mention Victor's name or address to the responding officers.
RELATED: Pocatello residents demand answers after autistic 17-year-old is shot nine times by police
Pocatello Police told Local News 8 that they cannot comment on the incident due to ongoing litigation. Read Local News 8's original story here.
