BOISE — The Idaho Attorney General’s Office will not file charges against four Pocatello police officers who shot a teenager with developmental disabilities this spring. The officers fired 14 times in fewer than two seconds, with 12 of the bullets hitting 17-year-old Victor Perez. The police were called to his home on April 5 for […]

BOISE — The Idaho Attorney General’s Office will not file charges against four Pocatello police officers who shot a teenager with developmental disabilities this spring.

The officers fired 14 times in fewer than two seconds, with 12 of the bullets hitting 17-year-old Victor Perez. The police were called to his home on April 5 for a report of a disturbance. The teenager died a week later after doctors amputated his leg and he was clinically declared brain dead.

The shooting garnered attention from around the world. Cell phone video of the incident has been viewed millions of times, and protests have been held across the state with participants demanding justice for Perez. Members of the community expressed outrage at City Council meetings and demanded the officers be arrested and charged.

The Eastern Idaho Critical Incident Task Force investigated the shooting, and Bannock County Prosecuting Attorney Ian Johnson asked the office of Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador to determine whether criminal charges should be filed.

In a 12-page letter sent to Johnson on Wednesday morning, Idaho Deputy Attorney General Jeff Nye acknowledged the shooting was a tragedy and explained why the officers will not be charged.

“The State would be unable to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the four officers who discharged their weapons were not justified in using deadly force,” Nye wrote. “We will thus not file criminal charges against the officers.”

  • DominusOfMegadeus@sh.itjust.works
    73·
    3 days ago

    The 911 dispatcher requested that four officers respond, more than usual for a typical disturbance. The only information the officers had was what was relayed to them from the dispatcher. They did not hear the actual 911 call and were unaware of Perez’s disabilities or age.

    None of the officers were given an address for the disturbance prior to arriving at the scene, according to Nye, and dispatch was working off the information provided by the 911 caller who said the address was “behind 702 North Main.” Perez’s residence was on North Harrison.

    Officers from the Pocatello Police Department had responded to Perez’s home in the past, but none of them were present at the time of the shooting. Nye said AG investigators learned during the follow-up investigation that the Pocatello Police Department does not flag residences for mental health issues. Even though police had responded to calls involving Perez and his mental health before April 5, the home was not flagged in a system.

    One of the cops had a bean bag gun. Instead of giving that a try before the deadly hail of gunfire, they all unloaded simultaneously.

    I don’t want to play this shitty game anymore. Is there anywhere else to go?

    • HumanOnEarth@lemmy.ca
      18·
      3 days ago

      If I was American, I’d absolutely, positively be pulling all nighters to find a way to emigrate.

      Being in Canada, I’m already working on plans to leave. I’m not getting stuck here if absolute power seeking dude who talks about taking Canada and Greenland (and gets caught trying to take Greenland) gets absolute power. Fuck that shit, I give it 12 months once Trump crosses the rubicon before hen uses his sharpie to move the border.

      • Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world
        24·
        3 days ago

        If only it were that easy. Many of us have family we help take care of (and who wouldn’t move because they are to old). And children who would suffer greatly by such a drastic move (mine has special needs, so moving means new doctors and schools…). Then there is the issue of a job.

        Those in power have done a great job making it hard for people to just up and move.

        • LordCrom@lemmy.world
          7·
          3 days ago

          I am in the same boat. I’m ready to up and leave for almost anywhere else …but I can’t leave my family here. And they don’t want to move or can’t move

        • HumanOnEarth@lemmy.ca
          3·
          3 days ago

          Escape to Canada only works if Trump is prevented from consolidating power and you just want to get away from the people who elected him.

          Still a big upgrade from the US, just saying that it might only be temporary.

      • chunes@lemmy.world
        21·
        2 days ago

        Move to europe, same exact shit but with putin.

        Only place to escape is maybe Australia.

        • HumanOnEarth@lemmy.ca
          2·
          2 days ago

          Not quite. I can put a good number of countries and militaries between myself and Putin there.

          I’m literally in a spot where the US military would set up on day 1 if things went that way.

          So yes, point taken but it’s really apples and oranges. For now.