Autistic teen dies after being shot by Idaho police

A non-verbal autistic teen, who also had cerebral palsy, has died after being shot repeatedly by police in the US state of Idaho earlier this month.

Police responded to a 911 call reporting that an “apparently intoxicated man with a knife was chasing someone in a yard” on April 5. That man was 17 year old Victor Perez, who was not intoxicated but walked with a staggered gait due to his disability. It was reported that family members were trying to get a large kitchen knife away from him and there has been no suggestion that he was posing a threat to anyone.

According to reports, the police officers opened fire on Victor from the other side of a chain-link fence within 12 seconds of getting out of their vehicles. There were no apparent attempts to de-escalate the situation or use less lethal weapons. Victor was shot nine times by the police.

It has been said plenty of times before, but police forces the world over need to be trained in how to recognise and respond to people with varying disabilities. This is yet another tragic and unnecessary death at the hands of US police.

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