PASCO, Wash. (AP) – A rock-throwing Mexican immigrant assaulted police and was threatening to attack them further when they shot and killed him, a prosecutor said in announcing that the three officers won’t face criminal charges.
The death of Antonio Zambrano-Montes, 35, was captured on cellphone video and sparked months of protests in Pasco, an agricultural center in eastern Washington. Witnesses said Zambrano-Montes fought with an officer, threw rocks and repeatedly told officers to kill him before they opened fire.
At a news conference Wednesday that was repeatedly interrupted by protesters, Franklin County Prosecutor Shawn Sant said the evidence showed that the officers used legal force as they tried to arrest a man. Sant said he could not meet the high bar for criminal prosecution under Washington state law, which requires a showing that the officers acted with malice and without good faith that their actions were justified.
“The officers used legal force to prevent injuries to themselves and others,” the prosecutor said. “Certainly there is no evidence of malice.”
Gov. Jay Inslee immediately asked Attorney General Bob Ferguson to review the charging decision, saying he would have wanted the decision reviewed whichever way it went. “I want to ensure that people have confidence and trust in the decision that is made in this case,” Inslee wrote in a letter to the attorney general.