Officers cleared in shooting of Kennewick man

The Benton County Prosecutor's Office cleared three police officers of any wrongdoing in a shooting in June that killed a Kennewick man.

Aaron T. Wright, 32, was shot once in the head June 27 after reportedly leading police on a chase in a stolen car and pointing a pellet gun at officers.

Wright was the first of three people to be killed by Tri-City police officers during the summer.

On Wednesday, police officials released a decision by prosecutors and findings from a Special Investigative Unit that looked into the shooting.

The special investigations team includes law enforcement officials from the Tri-Cities and the investigation was headed up by Capt. Jim Raymond of the Pasco Police Department.

Prosecutors determined Kennewick officers Joshua Kuhn and Jose Santoy, as well as Richland Sgt. Wayne DuBois, were justified when they opened fire on Wright.

All three officers have returned to full- time duty. Kuhn and Santoy are patrol officers, while DuBois works in the Street Crimes Unit. The officers were required to meet with a psychologist for an assessment following the incident, police officials said.

Kuhn and Santoy fired a total of eight shots, from a handgun and rifle, and DuBois also fired his gun, officials said. It's unclear who fired the fatal shot.

Kennewick police also conducted an internal investigation to see if department policies were followed, which concluded Kuhn and Santoy used reasonable force to protect their lives, said Sgt. Ken Lattin, police spokesman.

Police officials determined the officers reacted to an "imminent threat" and Wright's aggressive actions.

Richland police also are conducting an internal investigation, though it has not yet been completed, said Richland police Capt. Mike Cobb.

Lattin told the Herald the officers had a split second to act and that they thought the pellet gun was a real gun.

"This will stay with them for the rest of their lives," he said. "We know when we take the oath of office that we may have to take a life in order to save a life."

Wright was spotted in a stolen Ford Focus just after 6 a.m. and led officers on a 30-minute chase. He leaned out the driver's side window several times and apparently put the pellet gun to his head.

Wright eventually abandoned the car and ran into an apartment. He was shot after coming outside with the pellet gun.

Results of toxicology tests on whether Wright had any alcohol or drugs in his system have not returned from the Washington State Patrol crime lab.

Wright also was involved in a four-hour standoff in 2010 with authorities in Pasco.

The shooting that killed Wright was the start of a deadly string of shootings involving local police officers and suspects over the span of a month.

Rick R. Howard, 49, was shot July 9 by a Tri-City Regional Swat Team member during a standoff in Pasco. Authorities say Howard fired more than 60 rounds at officers, including some from a high-powered rifle.

Less than three weeks later, Brad D. Jensen, 34, was shot several times by two Pasco police officers when he allegedly refused to drop a knife.

Results of the SIU investigations into Howard and Jensen's deaths have not been released.

Wright was the second man to be shot by Kennewick police in the last year.

In June 2013, a Kennewick officer shot Dennis J. Skellenger through the chest near Horse Heaven Hills Park following an incident similar to the one that left Wright dead.

However, Skellenger -- who reportedly pointed a broken gun at officers -- survived and was sentenced in April to four months in prison.

Wright's death marked the seventh time an officer in Kennewick has shot a person in the last decade.

Lattin said the most recent shootings in the Tri-Cities show that police officers are forced into dangerous situations daily and they must be trained to react appropriately.

"It's a violent world," he said. "(The shootings) mirror what is happening across the United States."

-- Tyler Richardson: 509-582-1556; trichardson@tricityherald.com; Twitter: @Ty_richardson

This story was originally published September 10, 2014 at 8:22 PM with the headline "Officers cleared in shooting of Kennewick man ."