By Steve Berry
Students at Peninsula College are concerned that current police training may be lacking in Washington after the recent shooting in Pasco.
“It should not be compared to Ferguson since the events were unrelated. A justifiable amount of force was used for the amount of threat. In this event the police used an unjust amount of force according to police protocol,” PC student Michael Baltezore said.
“It sounds a bit excessive; you have to wonder about their academy training and other means of stopping someone. Such as pepper spray, tasers, or rubber bullets,” PC student Jennifer James said.
Discrepancy riddles the three autopsies that have been conducted in this already controversial shooting.
The third and latest autopsy for Pasco shooting victim finds he has six or seven entry wounds and two grazing wounds, calling into question how many times Antonio Zambrano-Montes was reportedly shot, says The Seattle Times.
An earlier independent autopsy contradicted the first statements by authorities that Zambrano-Montes was not shot from behind. It found at least two entry wounds on the back of his body reported The New York Times. This disputed the first autopsy ordered by Franklin Counties report of five or six bullet wounds. Now the third is reporting six or seven, and two grazing wounds.
Zambrano-Montes was shot and killed by police Feb. 10 in this diverse small eastern Washington city. According to King 5, Zambrano-Montes was throwing rocks at the police officers when they engaged in a chase that ended when three officers opened fire as Zambrano-Montes turned to face them with his hands raised. Video of the incident has been circulating on the internet.
The three officers who were named in the shooting, Ryan Flanagan, Adam Wright and Adrian Alaniz, have been placed on administrative leave. Police Captain Ken Roske said Zombrano-Montes had a criminal record and was charged with assaulting a police officer last year according to the L.A. Times.
Zombrano-Montes parents are being represented by Benjamin Crump, of Florida, who also represented the family of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
Attorney General Eric Holder has been asked to perform a federal investigation according to The Seattle Times.