Dante Jones Headstone

I sent the following letter to Franklin County Prosecutor Shawn Sant, 1016 N. 4th Avenue, Pasco, Washington 99301. The phone number to the office is 509-545-3543,  ssant@co.franklin.wa.us

Dear Prosecutor Sant:

I writing to urge you to charge Deputy Cody Quantrell with killing unarmed Dante Redmond Jones and lying to investigators.

The evidence in the Special Investigation Unit report does not support Quantrell’s story about the shooting.  According to the Washington State Patrol Crime Scene Response Team, “Four shots were fired into the vehicle striking Mr. Dante Jones multiple times from the open passenger door/window while he was in the driver seat.”  Three of the four shell casings were found on the road.  This does not support Quantrell’s dragging story.

By disobeying the command to “terminate the pursuit”,  Quantrell put himself in the position, as he claims in his statement, to relive his Army days and decide he was being ambushed when Jones pulled his vehicle next to Quantrell’s patrol car.  Quantrell stepped out of his car and shot Jones through Jone’s open passenger door.  After the three deputies pulled Jones out of his car and found no weapon, a new story for shooting him was invented.

Speeding and resisting arrest are not capital offenses.  Law enforcement officers are not judge, jury and executioners.  The killing of unarmed black men must stop.  I urge you to charge Quantrell and let a jury decide.  Our community needs justice.

Sincerely,

Lillian “Randy” Slovic