Idaho officials announced Wednesday that four Pocatello police officers will not face charges after fatally shooting an autistic teenager who approached them with a knife.
According to Attorney General Raúl Labrador, there was insufficient evidence to prove that deadly force was unjustified.
“We will thus not file criminal charges against the officers,” the attorney general’s office wrote in a 12-page letter.
Victor Perez, 17, who was autistic and had cerebral palsy, grabbed a knife during a family barbecue on April 5, and his sister was attempting to take it away from him when a neighbor called police.
Perez’s relatives claimed he was having a mental breakdown when he waved the knife and approached officers.
Pocatello police released body-worn camera video that shows 16 seconds between when officers arrived at the Perez family home and when shots were fired. Officers shot Perez nine times.
In the video, an officer can be heard shouting “drop the knife” five times before firing; no other words or commands are audible.
“None of the four shooting officers were aware of Perez’s age or his disabilities at the time of the shooting,” the attorney general’s office stated in the letter. “The officers’ knowledge was limited to what dispatch reported.”
The officers were told they were about to enter a disturbance in which an intoxicated male was attempting to stab others with a knife, he said.
When they arrived, the officers moved to the fence surrounding the home’s backyard, but in retrospect, it would have been better if they had kept their distance, he stated.
According to the letter, the officers were not required by Idaho law to retreat from the fence before using deadly force.
Family members declined to comment Wednesday.
According to the attorney general’s office, a use-of-force expert who reviewed the case determined that any “reasonable” officer would have perceived Perez as an immediate threat of death or serious bodily injury. The expert was not identified.
The attorney general’s office described Perez’s shooting death as a “tragedy,” noting that he had developmental delays, autism, and a number of other medical conditions.
“The state would be unable to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the use of deadly force was not justified in this matter because the officers were unfamiliar with Perez’s limited capabilities,” the letter stated, adding that Perez refused repeated commands to drop the knife, pointed it, and moved toward the officers.
