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Four police officers who fatally shot 17-year-old Victor Perez, an autistic and nonverbal teen, will not face charges, Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced Wednesday.
Perez was shot nine times in April after officers confronted him behind a chain-link fence while he held a knife. He spent a week in a coma before dying on April 12.
Labrador said officers believed lives were in danger and were justified in using deadly force. He noted they didn’t know Perez’s age or disabilities when responding to reports of an intoxicated man threatening people.
The family, filing a wrongful death claim, called the ruling “deeply disappointing,” arguing officers should have backed away instead of opening fire within seconds.
