Hispanic group seeks federal investigation of Pasco police shooting
Feb 17, 2015, 7:38 AM | Updated: 11:06 am
A marcher holds a sign during a rally for Antonio Zambrano-Montes, Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015, in Pasco, Wash. Zambrano-Montes was shot and killed by Pasco police in Pasco on Tuesday. (AP Photo/seattlepi.com, Joshua Trujillo)
(AP Photo/seattlepi.com, Joshua Trujillo)
The leader of a Hispanic group in Pasco is asking the Justice Department to investigate the fatal police shooting last week in Pasco.
In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, Consejo Latino Chairman Felix Vargas told AM 770 KTTH’s Ben Shapiro Show the constitutional rights of Antonio Zambrano-Montes were violated.
Read more: Inquest planned, $25M claim filed in Pasco police shooting
Zambrano-Montes, 35, was shot last Tuesday as he tried to run away from police after throwing rocks. Police said officers fired because they felt threatened. Zambrano-Montes was not armed with a gun or knife.
Vargas says he supports law enforcement in general, but he believes there’s a conflict of interest in the investigation by a local law enforcement team, the multi-agency Tri-City Special Investigations Unit. He says a federal investigation could accompany the local investigation.
Raw video: Fatal Pasco police shooting caught on video sparks protests
On Saturday, hundreds gathered in Pasco to protest police brutality.
Before the rally, children and adults hand-lettered signs, calling for justice for Zambrano-Montes, who witnesses say was running away when police fired on him Tuesday in a busy intersection.
The family of the orchard worker, who was a citizen of Mexico, has filed a $25 million claim with the city of Pasco, the first step toward a lawsuit.
An Associated Press report.
