Pocatello PD hosts press conference addressing officer-involved shooting

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) - On Monday, the Pocatello Police Department held a press conference regarding Saturday's officer-involved shooting, which left a 17-year-old with autism, Victor Perez, in critical condition.

For more information on Perez's condition, click HERE.

The incident caught on camera has sparked outrage throughout the online and Pocatello communities. As the video circulated online, people in the Pocatello community claimed police brutality as the video shows police shooting Perez only seconds after they arrived on the scene. The video shows that Perez was holding a knife at the time of the shooting.

For more info on the public reaction, click HERE.

Pocatello Police Chief Roger Schei says the department is aware of the videos and the public's reaction but argues that the video only shows one angle of the full picture.

"In situations like this, officers must make decisions in seconds. They assess threats not just to themselves but to those nearby. In this case, two individuals were within a few feet of an armed, noncompliant individual. The risk was immediate, and the situation rapidly evolving," said Schei.

The initial call

During the press conference, Chief Schei played the initial call to dispatch in which police were told by a neighbor that Perez had a knife and another man had hit the 17-year-old in the head with a branch or log.

In an interview with Local News 8, the 911 caller, Brad Andres, said he was trying to help deescalate the situation.

"The police were more called to come in and help the family deescalate and get it under control. This is the biggest tragedy..." said Andres. "I just want to send out my deepest sympathies to the family, and we were trying to help you. We weren't trying to bring a firing squad down to Harrison Street."

Chief Schei also shared photos of the knife taken from the incident, which appears to be a large kitchen knife.

"Multiple officers responded due to the nature of the call," said Schei. "Officers positioned just outside the yard gave repeated commands for the male to drop the knife. He did not comply. Instead, he stood up and advanced toward the officers while still armed. At that point, officers discharged her firearms."

The incident is under investigation by the East Idaho Critical Incident Task Force.

Local News 8 is keeping track of this developing situation and will provide updates as new information becomes available.