Relatives of Antonio Zambrano-Montes, the unarmed Mexican immigrant farmworker who was shot and killed by police in Washington state, filed Thursday a federal lawsuit alleging that his killing was unjustified.

“Antonio Zambrano was unjustifiably and wrongly shot and killed by the three Defendant City of Pasco police officers, denying him his civil rights as protected by federal law,” family attorney George Trejo wrote in the complaint.

The family is seeking more than US$25 million in damages.

The death of Zambrano-Montes, which was caught on video, set off a storm of controversy in the United States where a number of high-profile police-involved killings have drawn attention to the treatment of people of color by police.

Video footage shows Zambrano-Montes fleeing from police. He then appears to stop, face the officers and half raise his arms before being shot.

The shooting reflected a pattern of unconstitutional practices, excessive force and poor training of the city’s officers, the complaint stated.

Police said they shot Zambrano after he pelted them with rocks. One of the officers said he felt compelled to shoot because he feared police or members of the public would be injured.

Officers further alleged that Zambrano goaded them into shooting him, saying, “No, kill me, bitch, kill me, kill me.”

Trejo rejected those accusations, saying in July that the videos captured audio as well and that Zambrano cannot be heard saying those words.

Police admitted that Zambrano-Montes was unarmed when he was fired upon by police 17 times. An autopsy later revealed that he was hit by as many as seven bullets, including two in the back, contradicting earlier police claims that he was not shot in the back.

The city of Pasco, its police department and police chief and the three officers are defendants in the lawsuit.

City Manager Dave Zabell said in a statement that Pasco did not comment on pending litigation.

In an email to Reuters, Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Shawn Sant said the office was still reviewing, seven months on from the time of the incident, whether criminal charges are warranted against the officers.

Sant has been accused by Latino advocacy groups of having a close relationship with police he has been asked to step aside but refused.

SEATTLE — Prosecutors have confirmed that a coroner’s inquest into the death of Antonio Zambrano-Montes, an unarmed Mexican migrant shot and killed by Pasco, Wash. police, would likely not be held until this summer.

Antonio Zambrano-Montes, an unarmed Mexican migrant, moments before being shot in Pasco, Wash.

Franklin County Prosecutor Shawn Sant said it could take months before his office considers the possibility of filing charges against the officers who shot and killed Zambrano-Montes. The officers, who fired 17 bullets at their victim, struck him 5 times. Police allege that the unarmed man was throwing rocks at officers and “acting erratically.”

Sant cites one reason for the long delay is that there is a tight schedule involving other inquests.

“After the inquest we will review whether any charges are appropriate. We may have reports in two or three weeks, but no guarantee. We are also awaiting reports on the second and third autopsies.”

“Realistically with the schedule of other homicide cases set to go May 27 and June 24, the inquest will likely be in July or August time frame,” he said.

The Washington State Commission on Hispanic Affairs and Consejo Latino, two civil rights groups, have called for an independent prosecutor on the case, saying Sant has “conveyed the impression that he had taken the side of the police officers” at media appearances. Sant, who is himself a former police officer with a close relationship to the police department involved in the killing of the unarmed man, defended himself by claiming those appearances were intended to make it easier to distribute information.