Local News 8 article by Seth Ratliff, Linda Larsen
Protestors are rallying outside the Pocatello Police Department building in support of a 17-year-old autistic teen with physical disabilities who was shot by police responding to a local domestic incident. According to the family, the teen was shot nine times.
The teen is currently being treated at the Portneuf Medical Center, and Local News 8 has confirmed with the teen's family that he is in critical condition. His family says the 17-year-old had to have his leg amputated as a result of his injuries.
RELATED: 17-year-old autistic male shot by police in Pocatello on Saturday; incident under investigation
The Pocatello Police are reporting that the shooting victim was armed with a knife.
As of 3:30 PM, April 6, over two dozen people have gathered to protest the shooting.
According to the Pocatello Police, the officers were responding to a physical disturbance at a home near the 700 block of N. Harrison Street. Pocatello PD had received a report of two males, one of which was intoxicated and in possession of a knife, and a female involved in a physical altercation.
Officers arrived on the scene at 5:25 PM, according to police reports. According to police reports, “the officers were involved in a shooting with the male suspect who was armed with a knife.”
WARNING - GRAPHIC CONTENT: A video circulating on social media captures the arrival of the officers on the scene and the subsequent shooting, but it is unclear if the 17-year-old is armed.
Pocatello PD reports that its officers immediately began life-saving measures.
WARNING - GRAPHIC CONTENT: A second social media post circulating on the Facebook page Life in Pocatello captured the dramatic scene.
The 17-year-old shooting victim was subsequently transported by ambulance to the Portneuf Medical Center by the Pocatello Fire Department
The incident is under investigation by the East Idaho Critical Incident Task Force.
“We respectfully ask for the public’s patience as the investigation unfolds. In the meantime, we advise individuals to avoid the area while the investigation is ongoing. Further details will be provided as they become available,” writes the Pocatello Police Department in a press release.
