Response to the Passing of Victor Perez

Dear fellow advocates, guardians, allies, and members of the Commonwealth of Virginia,

I write to you today with a heavy heart, following the tragic loss of a young member of our broader disability community—Victor Perez, a 17-year-old boy with cerebral palsy and autism who resided in Idaho.

On April 5, 2025, law enforcement responded to a 911 call from a neighbor alleging that Victor was “attempting to stab family members and was intoxicated” while in his own backyard. According to the Perez family, this situation was severely misinterpreted and unnecessarily escalated. They maintain that Victor posed no threat to anyone.

Following the incident, Victor was hospitalized and declared brain dead due to injuries sustained during the encounter. On April 13, his family made the heart-wrenching decision to remove him from life support. The involved officers have since been placed on administrative leave, pending internal and external investigations.

Why Does This Matter?

Victor’s story is not just an isolated tragedy—it’s part of a larger pattern we must all pay attention to:

• Disabled individuals, especially those with developmental and communication-related disabilities, are disproportionately vulnerable in high-stress encounters with law enforcement.
• Misunderstandings can escalate quickly when officers are not trained to recognize or appropriately respond to disability-related behaviors.
• Harmful stereotypes that portray disabled individuals as combative, unpredictable, or dangerous further endanger our safety and dignity.

What Can We Do Together?

A Call to Action for Awareness and Preparedness

As a community, we must work toward preventing future tragedies through education, advocacy, and proactive engagement. Here are some steps we can take:

• Educate yourself and your family on legal rights, especially the difference between being detained and being arrested.
• Learn and teach others about Miranda Rights, and what legal procedures follow an arrest.
• Understand your Fourth Amendment rights regarding searches and seizures—and the implications of refusing a search.
• Participate in safety and disability-awareness trainings involving local law enforcement. Encourage officers to learn how to identify and safely engage with individuals who have disabilities.
• Create a communication plan for how to support a loved one with a disability if they are ever approached or stopped by law enforcement.

Victor Perez’s life mattered. His story serves as a sobering reminder that greater understanding, compassion, and accountability are urgently needed. Together, we can create a society where every person—regardless of ability—is seen, heard, and protected.

Let’s turn our grief into purposeful action.

In solidarity,

Ian Allan

Self Disability Advocate for The Arc of Northern Virginia