No charges in police killing of Washington orchard worker

The killing of Antonio Zambrano-Montes in Pasco, a farming hub in southeastern Washington, sparked anger in the city's majority Latino community. It also helped fuel the national debate over the use of force following several high-profile killings by police, including those of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in New York.

In announcing his decision, Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Shawn Sant told reporters: "I believe that a unanimous jury would not find the presence of malice or absence of good faith in this case."

George Trejo, an attorney representing the wife and children of the slain 35-year-old Zambrano-Montes, said the family was "extremely disappointed" by the prosecutor's decision not to charge the officers in a shooting relatives described as "the execution of their loved one."

Trejo said: "We are not surprised by this decision but disgusted and disappointed."

Governor Jay Inslee directed the state's top lawyer to review Sant's decision, saying he wanted "to ensure that people have confidence and trust in the decision."

The shooting occurred at a busy intersection after police said the farmworker threw rocks at the officers before trying to flee.

Video of the incident captured by bystanders showed Zambrano-Montes running from pursuing officers before turning to face them and being gunned down. The officers fired a total of 17 times.

Two stun guns failed to subdue Zambrano-Montes during the standoff, police said.

An autopsy showed that Zambrano-Montes was shot seven times, including two times in the back. 

One of the officers, Ryan Flanagan, has since resigned. The other two, Adam Wright and Adrian Alaniz, were placed on paid leave following the incident.

Zambrano-Montes grappled with a series of personal problems before his death, including depression, methamphetamine use, joblessness after breaking his wrists in a fall from a ladder, and a house fire in the winter that nearly killed him, according to family members and city records.

His relatives argued in a federal lawsuit filed last week seeking more than $25 million in damages that the officers violated his civil rights and reflected a pattern of unconstitutional practices, excessive force and poor training of the city's officers.

Last month, family members filed a separate $4.76 million wrongful death claim against the city.

The Pasco Police Department's investigation into the shooting was expected to conclude shortly, according to city officials.

A federal investigation in ongoing, said the U.S. attorney for eastern Washington.

Wire services