Royal City policeman justified in shooting

ROYAL CITY – Grant County Prosecutor Angus Lee has found that Royal City police officer Rey Rodriguez was justified in his actions in a police shooting on Oct. 24 that took the life of a resident.

The incident, which ended with the death of Pedro Salado Ceja, 45, occurred in the late afternoon at a trailer park at 200 Hemlock. Rodriguez had gone there to assist a domestic violence advocate in the removal of a woman from danger.

A lengthy investigation was launched immediately by the Columbia Basin Investigative Team. It was primarily that group's report that led to the decision. However, Lee made a thorough walk-through of the scene that same evening with lead detective Sgt. Mike Williams of the Moses Lake Police Department.

Lee noted the CBIT sent him about 400 pages of investigative reporting and three CDS of incident scene photographs. That work and his own led Lee to believe that Rodriguez's life became endangered by a shovel attack by Ceja and that Rodriguez acted in self-defense.

“The area of this contact (and that of the entire trailer park) can best be described as very closed, narrow and unsafe for the officer,” Lee said.

“What is unique to this situation was the narrow, curving, horse shoe shape of the street on which this incident unfolded,” he added.

According to Lee, these conditions limited Rodriguez's escape and response options. Lee said Rodriguez retreated more than 175 feet attempting to avoid Ceja's shovel.

Lee said Rodriguez tried pepper spray but had no effect. He considered his taser and firearm at the same time and chose the firearm because he would be too late to revert to the firearm of the taser malfunctioned.

“(A) witness was only five meters away when the officer shot the suspect,” Lee said. “He thought the suspect was going to get the officer, and it looked like the officer did not want to shoot but had no choice because the suspect almost got him.”