POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — Lawyers representing the family of Victor Perez held a press conference Thursday to announce a lawsuit filed against the Pocatello Police Department. Victor Perez was shot nine times by Pocatello Police officers on April 5, later dying from his injuries.
You can watch the full press conference below.
The lawsuit, officially filed by attorneys from the law firm Burris Nisenbaum Curry & Lacy and local attorney Jenniffer Call, alleges that the department violated Victor’s civil rights.
Civil Rights Attorney John Burris, representing the Perez family, emphasized that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires law enforcement to find alternatives to deadly force when officers are aware an individual has a disability.
On May 21, 2025, a Local News 8 investigation uncovered that the Pocatello Police had past interactions with Perez and made note of Victor’s disabilities in at least two police reports. For more information, click HERE.
Burris contends that the Pocatello police failed to meet the standard outlined in the ADA.
“Because of their failure to exercise de-escalating type techniques or to be aware that he was mentally impaired and therefore able to talk in a different way, they took the most aggressive action possible,” Burris stated.
He added that officers “arrived on the scene just like gangbusters and within moments, not not minutes, not hours, no effort to give the young man any opportunity to locate where he was or to self-identify with these officers; They shot and killed him.”
This remains a developing story, and Local News 8 will continue to provide updates as we receive the official lawsuit documents.
A Long Road Ahead
The civil rights case is expected to be a lengthy process, potentially taking up to three years to complete. Burris also indicated the possibility of additional legal action on behalf of other family members who may have been in the line of fire, asserting that their civil rights were also violated.
Victor’s grandfather, Luis Armando Alicea, who is named as a guardian in the lawsuit, expressed the family’s desire for swift justice. Speaking through a translator, Alicea told reporters, “We are dealing with a person who died in my house. We are not talking about an animal, we are talking about a human being.”
When asked about the family’s recovery since the shooting, Alicea responded, “I don’t have the words to talk about it.” His translator told reporters.
Truth and Reconciliation
While this is a civil lawsuit, attorney James Cook noted that similar cases have historically led state attorneys to pursue criminal charges. The shooting is currently under investigation by the Eastern Idaho Critical Incident Task Force, which is expected to submit its findings to Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador.
On Saturday, the Perez family and their lawyers will be holding a truth and reconciliation town hall to help the community heal from this experience. For more information, click HERE.
