In The Politics of Autism, I discuss interactions between police and autistic people. When cops encounter autistic people, they may not respond in the same way as NT people, and things can get out of hand. Among other things, they may misinterpret autistic behavior as aggressive or defiant. Training could help.
A community in southeastern Idaho is demanding answers after police officers shot a disabled teenager from behind a chain-link fence seconds after they responded to his house and he approached them with a knife.
The teen, 17-year-old Victor Perez, who is autistic and has cerebral palsy, was shot nine times, his family told local news outlets. As of Tuesday, he remained in the hospital in critical condition and one of his legs was amputated.
The incident occurred Saturday evening in the city of Pocatello, where police responded to a 911 call reporting a physical disturbance involving a person with a knife and three other people. Within 20 seconds of officers' arrival, police shot Perez in the backyard of his home.
Video of the incident quickly circulated online and sparked outrage, with family members and neighbors questioning why police did not do more to de-escalate the situation or use non-lethal weapons. Perez's family members said he was in the midst of a behavioral episode, but that they can always get him under control when he's agitated.
