BOISE, Idaho -- Nearly two months after 17-year-old Victor Perez was shot and killed by police, new records show Pocatello officers had previously responded to mental health-related calls involving the non-verbal teen -- raising further questions about how the April 5 incident was handled.

Perez, who had autism and cerebral palsy, was shot nine times by officers outside his home. According to his family, the shooting followed a misunderstanding at a family barbecue.

Police said they were not informed that Perez had a medical condition or was experiencing a mental health crisis. But documents obtained by KTVB show that officers had been called to the Perez home at least twice in the months leading up to the shooting.

The first call, on Dec. 2, 2024, involved a report of a mentally disabled juvenile assaulting his mother. When officers arrived, Perez was non-verbal and holding his mother on the floor. A family member told police the teen had not been taking his prescribed medication since moving from Chicago a couple months prior.

Though his mother declined to press charges, she did request medical assistance, and both she and Perez were transported for evaluation. No arrests were made.

A second call came on Feb. 11, 2025. This time, Perez's grandfather said he was struggling to control him. Officers noted in their report that Perez was visibly upset and making fists. His behavior included mock arrest hand gestures.

Again, no one was arrested, and officers referred the family to mental health services. The report states the incident was forwarded to child protective services to see if they could visit the home and evaluate.

"It just confirms our notion that the officers had notice, and it confirms what we see as the objective factor, showing that Victor Perez was dealing with a mental health crisis, and his family was trying to help him through it. And really that his family was just, they're looking for assistance," said James Cook, the family's attorney.

The attorney added that police training is supposed to prepare officers to recognize and manage mental health crises and criticized what he called a "shoot-first" response.

"The detractors would say, 'well, you know, you see a knife, and so therefore the police had a right to shoot.' However, what I would say is that police are trained to deal with this type of situation," Cook said. "Two, they had noticed that they could have been dealing with a mental health crisis. Three, there's opportunities to deescalate."

The Perez family has filed a formal notice of intent to sue the City of Pocatello and is requesting an independent investigation by the Idaho Attorney General's Office. The Bannock County prosecuting attorney previously made a similar request.

The City of Pocatello declined to comment on the family's claims or the previous calls, citing the ongoing investigation.