Family of autistic teen shot by police say officers should have tried to deescalate

An Idaho teen is in critical condition with his leg amputated after police shot him nine times. Officers say Victor Perez, a mentally and physically disabled autistic teen, wielded a knife when they encountered him in his front yard Saturday, but his family says police should have deescalated.

Cellphone video shows Pocatello police arrive on the scene and, within 15 seconds, they opened fire, critically wounding Perez.

Police chief Roger Schei said in a news conference, "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, non-compliant individual."