‘Get on the ground’: Autistic teen’s leg amputated after being shot by US police nine times

An autistic teenager has had to have his leg amputated after he was shot by police nine times in the US.

An autistic teenager is fighting for his life after police in Idaho, in the US, shot him a whopping nine times – prompting community-wide outrage and protests, according to authorities and reports.

Police were responding to a call about a physical disturbance at the 17-year-old’s family home in Pocatello at 5.25pm on Saturday when the multiple shots were fired, the Pocotello Police Department said in a press release, the New York Post reports.

Cops had received a report of two males, one of which was intoxicated and in possession of a knife, and a female involved in a physical altercation, police said.

The 17-year-old boy is still in critical condition after the shooting and has had his leg amputated from the injuries. Picture: KIFI

Eyewitness video showed the boy, whose name has not yet been released, rolling on the ground and waving what police say was a knife at a woman believed to be his mother, Local News 8 reported.

The video shows four police officers running up to the fence and quickly drawing their weapons while shouting “Get on the ground” to the teenager.

After the teen stood up, police fired the shots, footage shows.

“He was having a really bad day with mental issues, but he wasn’t chasing anybody, and everybody could easily get out of the reach of his knife,” neighbour Brad Andres told the outlet.

Eyewitness video showed the boy rolling on the ground with a knife before cops ran up to the fence. Picture: KIFI

A woman, identified as the teen’s aunt, also told the station that the autistic boy has an “impairment” and can “barely walk”.

The injuries from the shooting were so severe that the teen’s leg was amputated, and he remains in critical condition, his family told the outlet.

Life-saving measures were immediately performed on the boy, authorities say.

The shooting has prompted local outrage, with several community members lining up outside the Pocatello Police Department building to protest the police action, the outlet reported.

The shooting has sparked outrage among Pocatello community members. Picture: KIFI

“I can’t imagine anyone in the community trusting police after this. They, again, were called to help with a minor having a mental health episode in his front yard, and they put him on death’s door — he’s in the hospital fighting for his life,” one protester, Dylan Harrison, told the outlet.

Cops have asked for the public’s patience while the incident is investigated further by a critical incident task force.

“We respectfully ask for the public’s patience as the investigation unfolds. In the meantime, we advise individuals to avoid the area while the investigation is ongoing. Further details will be provided as they become available,” the Pocatello Police Department said in a press release.

This article originally appeared in the New York Post and has been reproduced with permission.

Originally published as ‘Get on the ground’: Autistic teen’s leg amputated after being shot by US police nine times