Newly released body-worn camera footage shows the moment Idaho police officers fatally shot autistic 17-year-old Victor Perez nine times earlier this month, prompting protests and potential legal action.
The April 5 footage shows there were about 16 seconds from the moment police arrived at the Perez family home in Pocatello, Idaho, to the moment shots were fired.
In the video, one officer is heard loudly shouting "drop the knife" five times before firing — but no other words or commands are audible. According to his aunt, Anna Vasquez, Perez had cerebral palsy, was nonverbal and had the mental age of a 5 year old.
Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad told reporters Thursday night that the city was voluntarily releasing the footage and the audio of the 911 call made by a neighbor as Perez's family struggled with him during a barbecue.
Perez was holding a knife when police arrived at the house, but was separated from the officers by a metal fence. He died in the hospital a week after the shooting, after he was declared brain dead and his life support was turned off.
On Thursday, the Perez family said it intended to sue the city of Pocatello, claiming wrongful death. The family's lawyer, who filed an administrative claim, or a precursor to a lawsuit, said police displayed "negligent" conduct and used excessive force.
Visibly emotional, Blad told reporters Thursday that it was "probably the hardest news conference that I'll ever have" and offered his condolences to the Perez family.
"There are still many questions that we cannot answer because the Eastern Idaho Critical Incident Task Force and others are completing their investigations, and there is now pending litigation," he said. "Once the investigations are complete and the review is done, the city will act in accordance to the findings."
The mayor added that the footage released Thursday would answer a number of outstanding questions while the investigation is underway.
"It is my hope that we will, as a community, be able to find ways to move forward. I recognize it's going to take a very long time, if we ever really, truly heal from this," Blad said.
Pocatello Police Chief Roger Schei also spoke Thursday, adding that he understood how the killing had deeply impacted the city, the state and people across the country.
"I can only imagine the people who witnessed this event, what they may be going through, and how difficult it may be for them. My thoughts are with them, and lastly to members of the Perez family, I'm truly sorry for your loss," Schei said.
Neither official took questions at the news conference, citing possible litigation and an ongoing investigation. Emails with questions from NBC News sent Thursday were also unanswered.
The shooting is being investigated by the East Idaho Critical Incident Task Force, and once the investigation is completed, the findings will be reviewed by the Idaho state attorney general. All four officers involved have been placed on leave.
According to an on-screen graphic on the police video accompanying the 911 audio, the call was logged as a "report of a man with a knife chasing victims around a backyard." The caller describes how Perez was fighting with his family, the graphic said, and that the teenager was acting as if he were intoxicated — a factor that may have accelerated the police response.
The police video's on-screen graphics then 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."
Perez’s family has argued that they or the officers were not in danger and that the teenager could usually be calmed down once he had become agitated.
"Not once did they tell his family members that they would shoot if they didn’t move away from Victor, and there’s no chance that they really believed Victor was able to stab them from behind the fence," Ben Nisenbaum, who is representing the family, said in a statement Thursday.
