Hispanic group seeks federal investigation of Pasco police shooting

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.