Leader of Hispanic community group calls for federal probe of Washington police shooting
The leader of a Hispanic group in an agricultural city in Washington is asking the U.S. Justice Department to investigate last week's fatal police shooting of an orchard worker accused of throwing rocks at officers.
Consejo Latino Chairman Felix Vargas says he supports law enforcement in general, but he believes there's a conflict of interest in the investigation by a local law enforcement team. He says a federal probe could accompany the local investigation.
Consejo Latino is a Pasco group made up mostly of Hispanic business leaders.
Pasco police say they shot 35-year-old Antonio Zambrano-Montes last Tuesday after he threw rocks at them, making them feel threatened. Witnesses say officers shot the man as he was trying to run away.
Zambrano-Montes wasn't armed with a gun or knife.
In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, Vargas says Zambrano-Montes' constitutional rights were violated.