Impunity in US: Cops who Killed Mexican Laborer Escape Charges

The three police officers who shot and killed Antonio Zambrano-Montes, an unarmed Mexican worker, will escape prosecution after the state of Washington decided not to file criminal charges, Reuters reported Thursday.

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The killing of Antonio Zambrano-Montes in the southeastern farming hub of Pasco, captured on video by witnesses and shared widely online, sparked days of protests from the city's majority Latino community and drew criticism from the Mexican government and human rights activists.

The announcement by state of Washington means the officers involved will not face prosecution at any level after the U.S. Justice Department also said that they would not file charges. 

In announcing his decision, Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson said he determined the officers' use of deadly force was justified under state law.

Bystander footage showed Zambrano-Montes fleeing from police. He then appears to stop, face the officers and half raise his arms before being shot at 17 times.

Police said they shot Zambrano after he pelted them with rocks. One of the officers previously stated he felt compelled to shoot because he feared police or members of the public would be injured. 

Attorney General Bob Ferguson, in a letter to the state's governor, Jay Inslee, wrote that he was "deeply troubled by Mr. Zambrano-Montes's death."

"I believe that the use of deadly force in this case, though legally justified, was not the only possible way to protect the police and the public from his dangerous behavior," he said.

Police admitted that Zambrano-Montes was unarmed when he was fired upon by police 17 times. An autopsy later revealed that he was hit by as many as seven bullets, including two in the back, contradicting earlier police claims that he was not shot in the back.

A Justice Department report released two weeks ago said that the Pasco Police Department needs to improve officer training on use-of-force, recruit more Hispanics and women, and increase the number of officers fluent in Spanish, among other criticisms.

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The death of Zambrano-Montes set off a storm of controversy in the United States where a number of high-profile police-involved killings have drawn attention to the treatment of people of color by police.

The City of Pasco and Police Department claimed in a statement that the state's review of the case "helps with public confidence of the process."

Ferguson's decision also mirrors the 2015 charging decision by a local prosecutor.

The investigation by Franklin County prosecutor Shawn Sant was the subject of criticism after he was accused by Latino advocacy groups of having a close relationship with police.

Zambrano's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit earlier this year accusing the officers of excessive force.

The 35-year-old undocumented immigrant, who arrived in Washington state's apple-growing belt seeking opportunity about a decade ago, allegedly battled drug use and homelessness in the months leading up to the shooting.