Shoot First, Ask Questions Later; Data Refutes Idaho Cops Mindset

Deadly gun violence between civilians and officers of the law has been a common occurrence for nearly 200 years. Until a person has worn a badge and sworn to defend a community, it's hard to be critical of these men and women when it comes to defending themselves in times of imminent physical harm.

There's no doubt that police brutality exists. Every year, dozens of police officers are either terminated, prosecuted, or put on leave for excessive force against civilians. The George Floyd incident in Minnesota is perhaps the worst case of excessive use of force by an officer in the past five years.

The incident in Pocatello a few days ago is an extremely unfortunate one, and police could have probably prevented the death of this teen.

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On April 5, an incident in southeastern Idaho enraged many in the state and across the country and involved a policeman and a teenager.  Protestors gathered in Boise over the weekend to show support for the family of Victor Perez, a 17-year-old non-verbal, special needs boy who died as a result of being shot by police officers in Pocatello. Footage appeared to show the teen, who reportedly had a knife on him, at a safe distance from officers and on the other side of a fence when shots were fired. The body camera footage also shows officers repeatedly asking the autistic boy to remain still, which unfortunately, Perez did not.

The "shoot first, ask questions later" thought process describes taking deadly action with the use of a firearm without attempting to defuse a situation peacefully or considering the ramifications of deadly force. From 2015 to 2020, Idaho incidents of deadly police force by firearm were on the lower end of the spectrum nationwide, according to rockinst.org. In 2024, of the more than 1,360 civilians killed by police gunfire, Idaho had only 12 fatalities in this manner, according to visualcapitalist.com.

The incident in Pocatello a few days ago is an extremely unfortunate one, and police could have probably prevented the death of this teen. But Idaho as a whole, compared to states such as California and New York, doesn't appear to have a problem with officers using unwarranted deadly force.