POCATELLO, Idaho — Only a day after the funeral of the disabled 17-year-old shot by Pocatello Police officers, a major civil rights firm, Burris Nisenbaum Curry & Lacy, has filed a wrongful death and civil rights violation claim against the city of Pocatello on behalf of the family of Victor Perez.
The firm represents Victor's guardian, Luis Alicea, his mother, Wanda Alicea; his sister, Monica Perez; and his aunt Ana Vazquez. The group was holding a family barbeque when Pocatello police officers shot the non-verbal autistic teenager, who also suffered from cerebral palsy.
The lawyers of BNCL have represented numerous families and victims of wrongful police shootings caused by the failure of police to follow basic legal and constitutional standards of policing, according to a release by the firm.
"The family wanted the police to help their son, not kill him," said John Burris, an attorney with 40-plus years of representing victims of police abuse, including representing Rodney King in his case against Los Angeles Police officers. "The officers’ conduct shocks the conscience of all families needing assistance with developmentally disabled kids.”
The four responding officers shot Victor Perez nine times. The lawyers of BNCL argue that when the shooting started, the 17-year-old's sister and mother were standing close to Victor and in the line of fire.
*This story originally appeared on Local News 8.
