Protest following officer-involved shooting, video spreads on social media

EDITOR’S NOTE: The video in the player above is graphic and shows the shooting that occurred Saturday evening. EastIdahoNews.com has blurred portions of the footage. Viewer discretion is advised.

POCATELLO — Dozens of protestors gathered outside the Pocatello Police Department Sunday afternoon following an officer-involved shooting on Saturday night.

Their signs read “Bloody Hands, Dirty Cowards,” “Do Better PPD,” “Hold PPD accountable” and “What are Tasers for?”

The protest comes after a man was repeatedly shot by multiple police officers Saturday evening on the 700 block of North Harrison Avenue. Video of the shooting was widely circulated on social media Sunday.

RELATED | One man hospitalized after officer-involved shooting

The video, sent to EastIdahoNews.com by multiple people, shows a man lying on the ground outside of a home in the front yard. He appears to be holding a knife or other object and is arguing with a woman, who attempts to get the item from the man’s hands.

A neighbor filming the incident is on the phone with a police dispatcher and says the man on the ground was hit in the head by a log. Police arrived at the scene at 5:25 p.m., according to a police news release, and four officers get out of their vehicles with guns drawn.

Video shows them yelling at the man and telling him to drop his weapon. THe officers were in front of a chainlink fence and not in the yard. The man appears to stand up and lunge at the officers, who then fire multiple shots.

“Immediate life-saving measures” were performed before the man was taken to Portneuf Medical Center, according to the news release. His condition was unknown as of Sunday evening. A second video of the man receiving aid from emergency responders was also circulating on social media on Sunday.

Multiple people who know the man tell EastIdahoNews.com he is 16 or 17 and has autism or other special needs. Those claims have not yet been confirmed. It’s unclear what led to the situation in the front yard, but many say police were too aggressive in their response to the situation.

The Pocatello Police Department remained quiet Sunday and did not release any updates about the shooting. EastIdahoNews.com requested additional information from the department and the city’s public information officer, but our messages were not returned.

The shooting is under investigation by the East Idaho Critical Incident Task Force. Police have asked for public’s patience as the investigation unfolds.

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