Inslee says no to special prosecutor in Pasco police shooting

SEATTLE (AP) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee says he will not direct the state Attorney General to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the deadly police shooting in Pasco.

The fatal shooting of Antonio Zambrano-Montes by three police officers on Feb. 10 was captured on a widely seen video and sparked weeks of protest.

Inslee declared his position in a letter to the Consejo Latino activist group. The group had written Inslee on March 16 asking him to appoint an independent prosecutor to replace Franklin County Prosecutor Shawn Sant. Colonel Felix Vargas, the chairman of the group, said he's concerned about Sant's impartiality.

Inslee responded on Tuesday in a letter saying his office has tracked the events, but he said county prosecutors have a legal duty to investigate and prosecute criminal offenses.