Report Concludes Police Shooting Victim in Washington State Probably Had a Rock

Source: NYT

SEATTLE — A man who was shot by the police in February in Pasco, Wash., was “likely in possession of a rock” when a second hail of bullets fired by the officers killed him, according to an investigative report released Wednesday by prosecutors.

Antonio Zambrano-Montes, 35, died after being fired on by the officers a total of 17 times, and struck by up to seven of the bullets — an encounter on Feb. 10 that was captured on an amateur video that subsequently spread through social media.

Documents released Wednesday by the Franklin County prosecutor’s office included diagrams, a detailed timeline of the event and, for the first time, accounts by the officers, all of whom said they had felt threatened for their personal safety or the safety of others.

In the video, Mr. Zambrano-Montes appears to be fleeing the officers, but then turns to face them as they fire a second volley. In the report, the officers said Mr. Zambrano-Montes had charged at them and yelled, in Spanish, to shoot him, and they feared when he turned that he could attack again.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/02/us/report-concludes-police-shooting-victim-in-washington-state-probably-had-a-rock.html