Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
- Pocatello released bodycam footage of the Victor Perez shooting incident.
- Mayor Blad and Chief Schei addressed the press but took no questions.
- Perez's family filed a wrongful death claim; investigations are ongoing.
Editor's note: The linked video contains strong language and violence. Viewer discretion is advised.
POCATELLO, Idaho — The city has released additional footage of a police shooting that brought national attention to Pocatello.
Mayor Brian Blad and Police Chief Roger Schei addressed members of the press in the City Council chambers on Thursday ahead of sending out a news release, to which was attached body camera footage of two of the three officers who discharged their weapons at 17-year-old Victor Perez, which ultimately led to his death. The mayor and police chief did not take questions at the conference.
"I would like to thank you all for being here today and coming to probably the hardest news conference I'll ever have, I would hope," Blad said.
He said they could not answer questions due to pending litigation. On Wednesday, the law firm of Burris, Nisenbaum, Curry and Lacy, which has represented high-profile clients, including Rodney King, Tupac Shakur, and the family of Oscar Grant, announced that it would be representing Perez's family. The firm filed a claim of wrongful death and civil rights violations against the city, which are precursors to a civil lawsuit.
Perez, who had cerebral palsy and autism, was shot nine times by police on April 5. He died April 12, after receiving multiple surgeries, including a leg amputation.
According to a video presentation showing clips of footage from a security camera as well as two of the officers' body cameras, three of the four responding police officers fired at Perez. One officer deployed a bean bag round, which is a less lethal round, from a shotgun. The video presentation includes a written narrative of events written by city officials. Unedited video footage has not been released.
The security camera footage shows what police call a "prolonged altercation" between Perez and members of his family, where he was holding a knife. The footage shows Perez's family members attempting to remove the knife from his possession for over 15 minutes.
Whether or not Perez had a medical condition or was experiencing a mental health crisis was not provided to dispatch or known to officers.
–Pocatello police
The officers were responding to a 911 call alerting them to this incident. The caller told police that Perez was "brandishing" a knife.
"One guy's got a knife and looks like he's under the influence and they're out in their backyard chasing each other around," the caller, identified as Bridger Andres, said.
"Whether or not Perez had a medical condition or was experiencing a mental health crisis was not provided to dispatch or known to officers," reads a slide from the video presentation.
At a community meeting on Wednesday evening, Andres said it was the responsibility of the responding officers to assess the situation he had alerted them to.
"I made that phone call to make sure everybody was going to be safe. I made that phone call because what I saw was a man with a knife possibly attacking somebody. … However, the police interpret that, that's what their training needs to cover," Andres said.
I made that phone call because what I saw was a man with a knife possibly attacking somebody. … However the police interpret that, that's what their training needs to cover.
–Bridger Andres
Less than 20 seconds elapsed from the time the officer, identified as Officer No. 1, exited his vehicle to when the officers discharged their service weapons when Perez stood and moved forward. Perez was standing in a yard, and there a chain link fence separated him from the officers.
Ana Vazquez, Perez's aunt, told EastIdahoNews.com on April 7 that doctors removed nine bullets from his body. Vazquez also spoke to what was transpiring when the police were called, and said that Perez wasn't trying to stab his family members. Rather, he was waving the knife.
"He does that even with the big spoon that you cook (with)… but now it's a knife, so we need to be careful," Vazquez said.
Blad said the information they released will not interfere with the continuing investigation by the Eastern Idaho Critical Incident Task Force or with the Bannock County Sheriff's Office as the lead investigating agency. When the investigation is complete, the Idaho Attorney General's Office will conduct a review of the findings.
"Once the investigations are complete and the review is done, the city will act in accordance to the findings," Blad said.
Chief Schei spoke following the mayor, saying, "After speaking with several people, listening to them, I know how this is deeply impacted our city, our community, our department, our state and even everybody across this nation."
Both Blad and Schei expressed condolences to Perez's family.
"I can only imagine the people that witnessed this event, what they may be going through, and how difficult it may be for them. My thoughts are with them, and last, to the members of the Perez family. I'm truly sorry for your loss," Schei said.
Blad said that he hopes the community will be able to "find ways to move forward."
"I recognize it's going to take a very long time for our community to heal from this, if we ever really truly heal from this, but it is also my belief that as we work together, we will indeed build a stronger Pocatello," Blad said.
