Prosecutor expects police report on fatal police shooting of Pasco man

PASCO, Wash. (AP) — The Franklin County, Washington, prosecutor says he expects to receive a special investigative unit's report Thursday in the Feb. 10 shooting death of an unarmed Hispanic man.

Officers from area police agencies have spent nearly four months investigating the death of Antonio Zambrano-Montes, who was fatally shot by Pasco police officers.

Franklin County Prosecutor Shawn Sant will review that report. In a statement late Wednesday, Sant said he plans to outline Thursday what comes next in the review process.

Three officers fired 17 times at Zambrano-Montes during a confrontation at a Pasco intersection. The shooting, captured on video, led to weeks of protests in the central Washington city.

Also upcoming is a coroner's inquest. Sant ultimately will decide whether criminal charges should be filed against the officers.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

The U.S. Office of Community Oriented Policing Services will offer technical assistance and training to the Pasco Police Department after officers shot and killed an unarmed Hispanic man, the agency said Wednesday.

The decision follows a request from U.S. Attorney Michael C. Ormsby and Pasco Police Chief Robert Metzger.

COPS, an arm of the Department of Justice, said the decision was prompted by the Feb. 10 shooting of Antonio Zambrano-Montes, 35, by Pasco police, which led to weeks of protests in the central Washington city.

The COPS office will work with Pasco officers over the next year, providing training in community policing and problem-solving, fair and impartial policing, and procedural justice.

The office has recently worked with police in cities such as Ferguson, Missouri; Detroit; Seattle; New Orleans; and San Diego.

Ronald Davis, director of COPS, said a lack of trust between a community and the police is at the core of much tension in the United States.

"The recent tragic shooting of Antonio Zambrano-Montes in Pasco has brought that fact to light," Davis said. "It is absolutely critical that the police department do all it can to strengthen police and community relations and rebuild the community's trust."

The shooting in Pasco, an agricultural city of 68,000 that is mostly Hispanic, was captured on video and widely viewed on social media.

Zambrano-Montes was fired upon 17 times by Pasco police officers Ryan Flanagan, Adam Wright and Adrian Alaniz after he reportedly threw at least one rock at them. The orchard worker was not carrying a gun or knife. A rock was found near his body, which was struck by at least five bullets.

The officers have been placed on leave pending the outcome of an investigation into the shooting.

Upcoming is a coroner's inquest that will allow a jury of six civilians to determine the cause and manner of Zambrano-Montes' death. The jury also will decide if the shooting was justifiable. Franklin County Prosecutor Shawn Sant ultimately will decide whether criminal charges should be filed against the officers.