No Criminal Charges for Pasco Police Who Killed Immigrant

PASCO (AP) — A prosecutor says three police officers who fatally shot a rock-throwing Mexican immigrant in February will not face criminal charges.

The death of 35-year-old Antonio Zambrano-Montes was captured on cellphone video and sparked months of protests in Pasco. Witnesses said Zambrano-Montes fought with an officer, threw rocks and told officers to shoot him before they opened fire.

At a news conference repeatedly interrupted by protesters Wednesday, Franklin County Prosecutor Shawn Sant said the evidence showed the officers used legal force as they tried to arrest a man who had assaulted them. Sant said he could not meet the high bar for criminal prosecution, which would require a showing that the officers acted with malice.

George Trejo Jr., a lawyer for Zambrano-Montes' wife and children, said in an email that he was disappointed.