‘No rocks, no weapons, no violence’ protesters told at Pasco rally | Tri-City Herald

The family of Antonio Zambrano-Montes linked arms and wiped away tears as they led a swift-moving crowd of several hundred people through the streets of Pasco to the spot where the father of two was fatally shot by police.

Chants for justice rang out while the army of about 700 protestors, some carrying portraits of Zambrano-Montes, made their way from a rally in Volunteer Park to the site of Tuesday’s controversial shooting. They stopped along the way to let their cries be heard.

“We are here for Antonio,” protestors yelled. “We are here for justice.”

The rally and march Saturday were the largest in a series of protests sparked by the fourth fatal shooting involving a police officer in Pasco in a little more than six months.

No arrests were made during the rally, though there were some tense moments later in the day when protesters staged a “die in” and lay down on the street where the shooting took place. About 30 officers from across the Tri-Cities responded and worked to clear the streets.

Rally draws mix of people

A mix of people of different ages and races surrounded the park gazebo before the march, all looking to show support for Zambrano-Montes and his family. And media from across the region were there to cover the event.

Speakers ranged from the American Civil Liberties Union to clergy to a high school principal.

Police watched the protest from afar and there were no major disturbances, authorities said. Officials’ plans all week were to give protestors space and be close by in case anything happened. This was noticeable by the lack of visible officers or squad cars during the events.

Family and leaders in the Hispanic community spoke about the need for peace and patience. Others prayed, sang songs and led chants as the crowd prepared to march.

Some leaders questioned whether the investigation into the shooting being performed by a 15-member team of local police called the Tri-City Special Investigations Unit could be performed fairly. Franklin County Prosecutor Shawn Sant ultimately will decide if the shooting is justified after the investigation is complete.

“The process of having police investigating police is not going to be perceived to be credible,” said Felix Vargas of Pasco, chairman of Consejo Latino, a group of primarily Hispanic business owners.

A federal investigation will be the only way to get to the bottom of the shooting, Vargas said.

Zambrano-Montes was shot after police responded to a call about him creating a disturbance near Fiesta Foods. The Pasco man reportedly threw at least one rock at officers, who fired after he ran across a busy intersection. Officers Ryan Flanagan, Adam Wright and Adrian Alaniz gave chase and Zambrano-Montes was shot in front of a cafe.

Police announced Friday that Zambrano-Montes was not carrying a gun or knife when officers shot him in the torso. Police investigators are looking into whether he was carrying a rock. The officers have been placed on paid administrative leave.

Many family members talked during the rally, giving their thanks to the community for being supportive and asking that everyone stay calm. Organizers asked people to take off masks and throw away offensive signs.

Along with the pleas for peace, there were also strong calls for action against the Pasco Police Department and the three officers.

There should be a full review of the department, its policies and training, said Kathleen Taylor, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington. Like many, Taylor was shocked by the videos of the shooting and doesn’t think officers should have fired their guns.

She likened the shooting to the death of John T. Williams at the hands of the Seattle Police Department. The wood carver was killed by an officer while crossing the street carrying a carving tool.

The shooting shows that the problem of police brutality has come to small cities, said Father Seraphim Bell, an Orthodox priest.

“They don’t have a target on them, we have a target on us,” he said. “We want to say stop killing us.”

Taylor told the Herald the shooting “looked like something you would see in a cowboy western movie” and probably “put the fear of in a lot of people in this city.”

“It was a surprising, violent response by the police officers to what was going on,” she said. “The man was fleeing. He was not armed. It was the extreme of what has been happening in many other places in the country.”

Family speaks out

Zambrano-Montes’ family agrees that there should be a review of police training in Pasco and the department’s use of force policy.

Martha Zambrano, who was like a second mother to the victim, says the shooting has not yet sunk in and Zambrano-Montes’ death does not feel real. The family has not viewed his body and has to wait to make funeral plans due to the investigation. She said she keeps thinking about the video she watched of him being killed.

Zambrano and the rest of the family are not confident that a local investigation by the SIU will bring justice, she said through an interpreter. The family also wants an outside federal agency to review to shooting.

“Justice for her would be to prosecute the three that were in the incident, the three that murdered him, the same way how they would prosecute a regular citizen or regular human being,” said Maria Madrigal-Zambrano, who translated for her mother.

Anger, loss of trust

Those who have been protesting the shooting all week and others who came out on Saturday say the community has lost its trust in Pasco police.

Ben Patrick witnessed the shooting as he was getting ready to go grocery shopping with his family. He said seeing Zambrano-Montes killed for throwing a rock has compelled him to join the protest and speak out against police.

“I haven’t really slept well this week,” he said. “I’ve just been trying to justify it in my head.”

Sergio Avila has been angry with police since watching a cellphone video of the shooting, he said. The Pasco man was handing out copies of the Fifth Amendment to try and educate people about due process.

Avila urged people to trust the investigation while also protesting to ensure police are held accountable and know they can’t get away with killing people, he said.

“This is the process for people to express their anger and get together so we can fully understand and grasp what happened,” he said.

Not everyone who attended the rally was happy about the way it was organized or some of the messages being conveyed to the crowd.

David Brookbank, a social service worker, felt community members were not letting activists speak about the need to band together and take a stand against Pasco police, he said. The Spokane man said the requests for peace were overwhelming and organizers appeared like they wanted an “emotionally decapitated community.”

The police opened fire in a heavily trafficked part of this town, chasing a man who may have been unarmed, Brookbank said. “That’s really what needs to be emphasized. If people are angry, that’s a legitimate expression.”

Robert Carson helped lead the hundreds of marchers through Pasco carrying a sign bashing police for their perceived lack of training. He said while walking down Third Avenue that the shooting has left a black eye on the department. The Kennewick man said officers need be better trained and work on community relations.

“We want Andy Griffiths in the street not John James Rambos,” he said.

Tensions mount

Just before 4 p.m., organizers declared the protest over, and encouraged attendees to move on, but about 75 people did not want to leave. Some people staged a “die in,” lying in Lewis Street in front of Vinny’s Bakery.

Many of the protesters marched through traffic back toward Volunteer Park, led by a Seattle-based organizer. They chanted statements like “Hands up! Don’t Shoot!” — a reference to the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.

“They will tell you we are outside agitators,” said Emma Kaplan of the October 22 Coalition to Stop Police Brutality. “I will tell you there are no outside agitators in the fight for justice because we are all Antonio!”

Cody Minnis of Pasco, an organizer of the rally with Occupy Tri-Cities, feared at the time that continuing with the rally after Zambrano-Montes’ family asked for it to end was a bad idea.

“We’re trying to make it peaceful,” he said. “I don’t want to make another Ferguson.”

Some talked about their personal experiences with police brutality and said they would welcome a Ferguson situation in Pasco.

The vocal group then walked back toward Vinny’s Bakery and again laid down in the street about 6:30 p.m., this time in the busy intersection of Lewis Street and 10th Avenue.

About officers from across the Tri-Cities cleared the streets, demonstrators went home for the most part. The Tri-City Regional SWAT Team was on call in case of a major problem.

A car drove into the crowd at one point, but no one was injured.

City officials were pleased with how the protest went and how peaceful it was, they said. Mayor Matt Watkins and City Manager Dave Zabell said they are proud of how the community has united and protested without violence.

“Pasco is not a city that is going to fall apart. That’s every encouraging,” Zabell said.

By 8 p.m., calm was restored to the area near the shooting site. Protesters continued to chant around the signs, flowers and burning candles lit in Zambrano-Montes’ memory. Passing cars honked their horns in approval.

“We requested that some of our locals come back and show their support,” he said. “We didn’t want to make this a split community. We want peace.”

Minnis planned to stay near the corner of 10th Avenue and Lewis Street all night to show his support for Zambrano-Montes. He thanked those like Tom Wegner who came from Seattle to rally peacefully.

“Justice needs to be achieved,” Wegner said. “Killer cops shouldn’t get off the hook.”