50 witnesses interviewed in Pasco police shooting investigation

Investigators looking into a deadly police shooting with two Pasco murder suspects have done more than 50 interviews in the past week.

Juan M. Montalvo died and Miguel A. Montalvo was wounded in an exchange of gunfire with two Pasco officers on May 17.

The men had been wanted for 2 1/2 weeks when police tracked them down to a North 12th Avenue home.

Police were surrounding the home when the Montalvos ran out a door toward an alley and, “unprovoked, began firing in the direction of officers,” said Kennewick police Commander Randy Maynard.

Detective Joshua Glass and Officer Eric Fox shot back at the two men, he said.

None of the officers were hit.

Glass and Fox are on paid administrative leave while the regional Special Investigations Unit tries to piece together exactly what happened.

The team, being led by Maynard, then will forward a report to Franklin County prosecutors to determine if the officers’ use of deadly force was justified.

Maynard released an update Tuesday saying “additional examination and processing of evidence continues this week.”

He previously said 20 to 25 investigators from six different agencies are working on the incident.

The Montalvos are accused of killing Luis “Oso” Contreras and assaulting two others at an east Pasco house in late April.

Police say the suspects returned to the scene of the earlier crime the morning of May 17 and shot two others while allegedly targeting the witnesses.

They were found six hours later that same day at the home of an alleged accomplice.

Anyone with information related to the investigation is encouraged to contact one of the team supervisors: Sgt. Dan Todd, daniel.todd@ci.kennewick.wa.us, 509-582-1315; or Sgt. Drew Florence, dflorence@ci.richland.wa.us, 509-942-7654.

This story was originally published May 26, 2020 at 2:28 PM.