Idaho officers won't face charges in fatal shooting of Victor Perez, a teen with autism

The case of 17-year-old Victor Perez in Pocatello, Idaho, highlights a painful failure in how officers are prepared to handle individuals with disabilities. Perez, a nonverbal teen with autism and cerebral palsy, was shot by police after a 911 call reported a “disturbance” involving a male holding a knife. According to Deputy Attorney General Jeff Nye, “The death of 17-year-old Victor Perez was a tragedy,” yet no criminal charges will be filed, as prosecutors concluded they could not prove officers acted outside legal justification. However, legal justification does not erase the urgent need for better training and awareness surrounding mental health and developmental disabilities.

Officers arrived believing they were facing “an intoxicated male… trying to stab others,” unaware Perez was a vulnerable teen in crisis. Nye admitted, “Neither the 911 caller, dispatch, nor the officers were aware of Perez’s age or his disabilities.” This critical lack of information underscores a systemic issue: frontline responders are not trained to recognize nonverbal cues or neurological conditions that require de-escalation, not confrontation.

When officers encountered Perez, he had already fallen and was on the ground. Instead of reassessing, they stood only 12 feet away with guns drawn, shouting commands like “Drop the knife!” — commands a nonverbal teen with autism may not comprehend or process under stress. Nye acknowledged, “It would have been better for everyone had the officers kept their distance from the fence,” indirectly reinforcing that tactical patience and space could have saved a life.

Idaho law does not require officers to retreat or attempt less-lethal tools when deadly force is deemed justified. But this legal standard exposes a deeper moral question: Should law enforcement rely solely on fear-based threat assessments, or be trained to differentiate between violent intent and disability-related behavior? A use-of-force expert claimed “any reasonable officer” would have seen Perez as an immediate threat. Yet a truly reasonable system would equip officers to ask — is this person dangerous, or in distress?

Victor’s family attorney, James Cook, said, “We are disappointed. However, we are not surprised,” signaling how families of disabled individuals often expect systems to fail them. This tragedy is not just about one decision — it’s about training models that treat every movement as aggression rather than communication. Without mandatory crisis-intervention training informed by disability specialists, more families will mourn preventable losses.

Link: CBSNews

If you’ve lost someone to fatal violence under police or while incarcerated, apply to our Autopsy Initiative for a free independent autopsy here:  https://www.knowyourrightscamp.org/autopsyinitiative