SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - Federal prosecutors will not file charges against three police officers in Pasco, Washington, who shot and killed a mentally ill man last year, sparking weeks of protests.
U.S. Attorney Michael Ormsby said Tuesday there was insufficient evidence the officers violated the civil rights of Antonio Zambrano-Montes when they fired 17 bullets at him Feb. 10, 2015.
Zambrano-Montes, 35, an orchard worker from Mexico, was shot several times as he threw rocks at police at a busy downtown intersection.
An autopsy showed he had meth in his system. He also had a history of mental illness and previous interactions with police.
Cellphone video of the shooting went viral and led to weeks of peaceful protests in the city along the Columbia River in southern Washington.
Local prosecutors previously cleared officers Adrian Alaniz, Ryan Flanagan, and Adam Wright in the shooting.
"These cases are difficult because someone has lost their life," Ormsby said in a press release. He also offered his condolences to Zambrano-Montes' family.
"These cases deserve and receive careful review and examination in light of the detailed requirements of the federal law," Ormsby said.