Inslee will not appoint special prosecutor in Pasco police shooting

Gov. Jay Inslee will not appoint a special prosecutor in the Pasco police shooting death of Antonio Zambrano-Montes.

The governor announced the decision in a letter to Felix Vargas, chairman of Consejo Latino.

Consejo Latino, a community organization which champions economic development for Hispanics, had asked Inslee earlier this month to remove Franklin County Prosecutor Shawn Sant from the investigation. Vargas said Sant appeared too close to local law enforcement and couldn’t rule on the case objectively.

Inslee said in the statement he was “deeply troubled” by the shooting and his office will continue to monitor the investigation with a team of local police.

County prosecutors have the legal duty and moral obligation to prosecute crimes in their jurisdictions, Inslee said.

“I do not believe that prosecutors should be absolved of this responsibility absent very specific, tangible and compelling reasons, and I am not confident that those reasons have been established at this point in the ongoing investigation,” Inslee said in the statement.

Three Pasco officers shot at Zambrano-Montes 17 times after he threw at least one rock in their direction, authorities said. He died at the scene on Lewis Street in Pasco.

Police said Zambrano-Montes was not carrying a gun or knife, though a rock was found near his body.