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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sirens & Gavels

Independent autopsy conflicts with police account in Pasco shooting

An autopsy commissioned by an attorney for the family of Antonio Zambrano-Montes, the Mexican national shot dead by Pasco police Feb. 10, rebuts claims by police the migrant worker was not shot in the back during the confrontation.

Charles Herrmann, the Seattle attorney hired by Zambrano-Montes' widow, released on Thursday a diagram of the autopsy Carl Wigren performed on Zambrano-Montes following an initial examination by a Franklin County-hired forensic pathologist earlier this month. Wigren's initial report indicates Zambrano-Montes was struck seven times by bullets, and that he was struck in the back of his upper arm as well as the buttocks. Wigren says two of the entry wounds may have been made by the same bullet, and also said Taser probes were found in areas of Zambrano-Montes' body "where they would have had letter effect," according to the news release.

You can read Herrmann's press release, and view the diagram of Wigren's examination, in its entirety below:

 

Antonio Zambrano-Montes Autopsy Diagram

Sgt. Ken Lattin, a spokesman for the multi-agency investigative team from the Tri-Cities looking into the shooting, said emphatically Wednesday that their autopsy did not indicate Zambrano-Montes was shot from behind.

But Herrmann hinted later that the findings of his independently commissioned autopsy would indicate otherwise.

"The Zambranos are going to have their day in court," Herrmann said after the police news conference.

Herrmann joins Benjamin Crump, a high-profile civil rights attorney who has represented family members of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown, has been retained by Zambrano-Montes' mother. Agapita Montes-Rivera attended the funeral for her son in Pasco on Thursday, flying in from Mexico to return her son's body to his native country.

Lattin and Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Shawn Sant said Thursday they do not anticipate releasing more details about the shooting before a coroner's inquest is held in the case. The rarely used procedure, in which jurors examine evidence to determine if criminal charges should be filed in a homicide, will likely not occur for at least two months, Sant said Thursday.

Montes-Rivera said through an interpreter Thursday night she had not yet made firm plans on when she will return to Mexico.



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