Antonio Zambrano-Montes Pasco Police Shooting Update: Cop Involved in Fatal Shooting Resigns for New Job Opportunity
One of the three Washington police officers responsible for the death of an unarmed Mexican man in Pasco earlier this year has resigned.
Pasco City Manager Dave Zabell announced that Ryan Flanagan submitted a resignation letter from the police department on Thursday, which will go into effect on July 2. Flanagan and Officers Adam Wright and Adrian Alaniz have been on paid administrative leave since the fatal shooting of Antonio Zambrano-Montes on Feb. 10.
Officials say the incident began after Zambrano-Montes threw rocks at police cars at a busy intersection and then refused to drop the stones. After police tried to subdue him with a Taser, Zambrano-Montes took off on foot. Video footage of the incident shows the 35-year-old Mexican migrant running away as police appear to open fire. He was then fatally shot after he stopped running and turned toward the cops. An investigation revealed that the three officers fired 17 shots at him in total.
Flanagan's attorney Scott Johnson said that his client's decision to resign from the police department was voluntary.
"He had a job opportunity come up, and he just thought it was probably a good time to make that transition," Johnson told the Tri-City Herald.
Johnson also said that the nine-year veteran is leaving law enforcement to work in the local building industry.
"It's unfortunate that an officer felt he had to give up his career for what occurred," Police Chief Bob Metzger said Friday. "We'll certainly miss him as an officer with the department and we wish him well in the future."
The chief went on to say that the department is sympathetic to Flanagan because he has been going through "a difficult time" since the victim died. He also commended him for giving two weeks' notice of his resignation.
"We've been in contact with him the last four months and certainly, with everything that occurred, we've tried to keep in touch with him and make sure that he is OK and that his family is OK. Certainly we're concerned about his family," Metzger said.
The other two officers will remain on paid administrative leave.
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