Police shooting inquiry continues
CBC Crescent Bar Chronicle News
ROYAL CITY - The investigation of the police shooting of a domestic violence suspect here on Oct. 24 continues.
According to Kyle Foreman, spokesman for the Columbia Basin Investigative Team, the Grant County Prosecutor will likely receive the CBIT's report next week.
What the CBIT is investigating is whether the shooting was justified. Dead is Pedro Salgado Ceja, 45, of Royal City. He was shot by Royal City Police Officer Rey Rodriguez.
Rodriguez was assisting a New Hope domestic violence advocate remove a female victim to safety. While attempting to do that, he came under a flat-bottomed shovel attack by Ceja, according to independent witnesses. Rodriguez shot Ceja before he could land a blow.
According to Foreman, the CBIT has interviewed four witnesses who are cooperative. It has spoken to three who are not.
Among the issues to be determined is how many bullets struck Ceja. Six were fired from Rodriguez's sidearm. There was still no determination on Thursday. Foreman said that determination may take some time.
Also to be determined is why Rodriguez was unable to use pepper spray or a Taser. Foreman said Rodriguez attempted to but was unable.
Thursday Foreman said it is his understanding that Rodriguez did use pepper spray and it failed to stop Ceja. It's foreman's understanding that Rodriguez considered the Taser and decided it might not stop Ceja either.
"These things happen so fast," he said. "He may have thought the Taser was not enough force at that point."
Eight minutes elapsed between the time Rodriguez received the call for assistance at 5:10 p.m and the time Rodriguez called for help, at 5:18 p.m., after the shooting.
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