Victor Perez, 17, who also had cerebral palsy, had been in a coma since the April 5 shooting, and tests Friday showed that he had no brain activity, his aunt, Ana Vazquez, told The Associated Press. He had undergone several surgeries, with doctors removing nine bullets and amputating his leg.
The shooting outraged Perez’s family and Pocatello residents, and about 200 people attended a vigil Saturday morning outside the Pocatello hospital where he was treated. Another crowd of protesters gathered outside the Pocatello City Hall building, which also houses the police department, on Saturday afternoon. Police snipers were stationed on a nearby rooftop during the protest, though no violence was reported. Many of the protesters held signs with phrases like, “Do better, PPD” and “Justice for Victor,” and passing cars honked in acknowledgment.
There’s a reason TV isn’t 100% accurate, but I’ll give you a take. Lazy? Sometimes. Also underfunded. We are a country with a land area a little bit bigger than yours (assuming you’re an American) with a population of 10% that of the US. They’re spread very thin, sometimes a crime happens and it’s not serious enough to solve because you’d need DNA evidence and it’s petty theft (or, far worse, something like embezzlement).
Incompetent? Not that I’ve encountered, but I won’t discount it. That can never be discounted, no one is perfect.
Instead I propose their weakness is trust in legislation and especially political leadership. Bill C-11, the internet censorship bill, scares me. I am not stupid enough to think the RCMP couldn’t become an authoritarian nightmare at the behest of a corrupt government or puppet leaders.