(City of Pocatello Press Release, April 10, 2025)
The Pocatello community has experienced a tragic event, and we are all reeling from what happened, especially the Perez family. Please know this incident has my full attention. The City Council and I do not take what happened lightly.
We are addressing this matter with the seriousness and thoroughness it deserves and with the appropriate respect for the gravity of the situation. The criminal, external, and internal investigations regarding the officer-involved shooting are underway, which is why we cannot answer questions out of concern of interfering with or compromising the investigation.
What I can tell you is the four officers were immediately placed on administrative leave following the incident, per City of Pocatello policy. We expect to release body camera footage in the coming weeks.
We truly recognize the difficulty and pain of this situation. Everyone is looking for answers, including me and the City Council. That is why it is important to let the Eastern Idaho Critical Incident Task Force and others complete their investigations.
Once the investigations are complete, we will act in accordance with the findings. No determinations will be made until the independent investigators have done their job.
Again, please know this incident is top of mind for me and the City Council.
Right now, our thoughts are with the Perez family, the neighborhood residents who witnessed the interaction, our entire community, and all members of the Pocatello Police Department. It will take a very long time for all of us to find normalcy, but our hope is we can find a way to move forward and build a stronger community together.
