A 13-year-old boy in Glendale, Utah, was shot several times by police officers after his mother called 911 for help with his mental health crisis.

Linden Cameron, who has Asperger’s, a form of autism, is now in a serious condition in hospital.

His mother Golda Barton said she had believed police attending on Friday night would use “the most minimal force possible”.

Salt Lake City Police Sgt. Keith Horrocks told reporters that the incident was now being investigated.

Speaking to local CBS-affiliate KUTV, Ms. Barton said she told the 911 operator that her son needed to be taken to hospital for treatment.

She said he was experiencing a crisis because it was her first day back at work in almost a year and he has bad separation anxiety.

At a press conference, Sgt. Horrocks said officers were called to a “violent psych issue” and reports that a boy – who they did not name – had made “threats to some folks with a weapon”.

He added that there was no indication when they attended that the boy was armed.

Sgt. Horrocks said an officer shot the boy when he tried to flee on foot.

According to an online fundraiser set up to raise money for medical bills, Linden Cameron has suffered “injuries to his shoulder, ankles, intestines and bladder”.

The long-term effects of his injuries are still unknown, but it is likely that his recovery will be long and require multiple kinds of treatment.