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Otto.jpg
Six years ago Otto Zehm, a 36-year-old developmentally delayed janitor, was beaten by a Spokane Police officer. After years of a cover up and court proceedings, Officer Karl Thompson was finally sentenced to more than four years in prison. (AP Photo)

Police officer gets prison time for beating death, cover up

November 18, 2012 @ 6:16 pm (Updated: 2:18 pm - 11/19/12 )

"All I wanted was a Snickers."

Those were the last words of a developmentally delayed man who was beaten to death by a Spokane Police Officer six years ago.

Officer Karl Thompson Jr. has now been sentenced to more than four years in prison for civil rights and obstruction violations stemming from his March 18, 2006 beating of Otto Zehm.

This is a story of lies, none of them told by Zehm.

Zehm was a 36-year-old janitor with developmental disabilities. Almost every night he went to a north Spokane convenience store to get snacks.

Zehm didn't own a car, so one night he walked to a bank ATM to withdraw money from his account.

He approached a drive-up ATM on foot as teenagers in a car were getting some cash. After two young women pulled away from the ATM, they were unsure whether they had ended their transaction.

The teens thought the man with long blonde hair might be taking their money. They panicked, called 9-1-1, told an emergency operator a "suspicious" man was attempting to steal money from the ATM.

The women in the car then followed Zehm and told police information about where he was heading.

He ended up in the Zip Trip to buy a soda and candy bar, as he usually did.

Surveillance video shows a typical store scene, with Zehm walking over to the refrigerated soda section and a few other people at the counter.

A police officer bursts in. Within sixteen seconds of the officer entering the store, the cop encountered Zehm, whose back was initially turned to him. Twice the officer ordered Zehm to "drop the pop" and struck him with his police baton.

The officer never asked Zehm any questions. Never mentioned the ATM. He just started attacking, according to witnesses.

Zehm had no weapons and customers testified that he didn't appear to understand why the cop was attacking him, soon to be joined by several other officers.

Officer Thompson delivered a second baton blow, knocking Zehm to the floor. He then stood over Zehm and fired a Taser into him. He continued delivering overhand baton blows, including a final flurry of seven baton strikes in eight seconds.

In addition to the multiple beatings and taserings, police hog-tied Zehm and placed him on his stomach for more than sixteen minutes.

Police weren't finished with him. They strapped a plastic mask over Zehm's face, who stopped breathing within three minutes.

Ruled a homicide by the county coroner on May 30, 2006, the cause of death was reported as "lack of oxygen to the brain due to heart failure while being restrained on his stomach." No illegal drugs or alcohol were found in Zehm's system.

The lies the teenagers told when they called 9-1-1 were compounded when the first officer to encounter Zehm gave his report of the incident.

Thompson denied hitting Zehm in the head with his baton because that would have constituted deadly force, which he admitted was not justified in this case.

Witnesses contradicted the officer, and medical testimony confirmed that the cop had delivered baton blows to Zehm's head and neck.

More lies.

Police alleged that Zehm had "lunged" at Thompson with a plastic soft drink bottle. However, the silent surveillance video of the incident, which police withheld for three months, contradicted this police claim also.

Then-acting police chief Jim Nicks subsequently stated that he misspoke in alleging Zehm "lunged" at the officer.

The video also did not provide support for the officer's claim that he paused and gave verbal orders to Zehm.

Each frame showed the officer advancing at a brisk rate while Zehm, after seeing the officer with his baton raised, only backs away slowly.

In all, seven officers were involved in detaining Zehm. Three of the cops received one day of paid administrative leave.

Thompson didn't escape punishment.

On June 22, 2009, a federal Grand Jury handed down an indictment on Spokane Police Officer Karl Thompson. A veteran of the force, he was indicted on two counts: unreasonable use of force and making a false entry into a record being investigated by a federal agency.

The Federal trial against Thompson began in Yakima in October of 2011. The case was moved out of Spokane so the officer could get a fair trial. About a month after it started, the jury found Officer Thompson guilty on both counts; excessive use of force and lying to investigators about the confrontation.

When Thompson was taken into custody, 50 fellow officers who were at the courthouse gave Thompson a formal "salute" - a clear sign of their loyalty to someone who had just been convicted of two felony crimes.

Zehm's family sued. The Spokane Police Department and city finally agreed to an out-of-court settlement which included a $1.67 million payment to the family and specialized training for all of the city's cops.

Thompson was sentenced Friday, prompting Spokane Police Chief to issue a brief statement on November 16, 2012.

"The people of Spokane and its Police Department have learned much from this tragic incident. It is now time for all of us to heal, to move forward, and commit to working together," says Chief Frank Straub

The Justice Department's statement was more stern.

"The defendant was given considerable power to enforce the law," says Thomas Perez, assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, "but instead he abused his authority when he brutally beat an innocent man."

Victor Boutros, a Justice Department attorney who helped prosecute the case, adds, "A badge cannot equate to a free pass."

By LINDA THOMAS

More from Linda Thomas

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Comments (52)


  • Add A Comment

  • GDHubly wrote...
    I too have had a loved one abused
    November 19, 2012 2:55 pm
    by eastern washington LEO. Until you have had the same, you really can't imagine the rage and impotence that comes with such. I am so fortunate that my son did not die, although he was wrongly placed in a situation that may have resulted in great harm. How? The cops lied. They lied to the press, they lied to the prosecutor, they lied to the judge that signed the warrant and then had the temerity to admit confidentially to my son that they were doing so. And not because of his actions, but of those of another. The police were going to teach these kids a lesson for having the gall to demand due process. My son was just collateral damage in their eyes. And yes, all charges were dropped due to the violation of those very due process rights the kids asserted the police follow in the first place. Eastern Washington LEO IS out of control and needs the very same federal review that SPD received.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • GDHubly wrote...
    Re: KXLY TV
    November 19, 2012 3:23 pm
    "I've confirmed that with a KXLY TV reporter who covered the case extensively." In my observation, KXLY is highly biased with LEO sympathies, and is incapable, or unwilling of independent investigative efforts.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Ironhdron wrote...
    Bad Cops
    November 19, 2012 3:25 pm
    All seven officers need to be put in one cell for many years.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • TimeForNewLeadership wrote...
    They all should have been punished more severely
    November 19, 2012 6:19 pm
    Protecting their own, cops do it time and again. I love a good cop but hate a bad one. Hard to fathom how the other cops who stood by and allowed this to happen and those who withheld the video surveillance footage were not punished. And the 50 officers who saluted Thompson should be ashamed of themselves. To protect and to serve, NOT to prejudge and punish. This is precisely why cops are not supposed to hand out the punishment.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Bloodsurf69 wrote...
    Shame
    November 19, 2012 3:45 pm
    This happens all the time. They just get away with it. Glad to see the truth
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • TimeForNewLeadership wrote...
    Thompson deserves more time
    November 19, 2012 6:08 pm
    For every officer who is caught for something like this there are many who are not caught. I have heard people say that if Thompson had come clean from the outset that he would have been subject to a lighter sentence, not to mention the torment that all involved went through for six years would have been less. But the reason he tried to cover it up is that usually the cover up is successful so it is worth taking the chance. Thompson deserved a stiffer sentence both for the severity of the beating, the fact that it resulted in a death, and because he covered it up. It is disgusting that other police officers saluted him when they know what he did.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • awm4328 wrote...
    Agee with most everyone who commented....
    November 19, 2012 6:08 pm
    I think the police chief at the time who lied and participated in the cover-up was eventually forced to resign; if I was a Spokane cop, I would be embarrassed to be on the force. If I was one of the 50 salutees, I would be ashamed of myself. This is what a police union does to you - turns you into a bleeping idiot without any capacity to determine right from wrong - a dangerous display of ignorant loyalty for 50 stupid police officers. This is a ridiculously low sentence for murder and the other 6 should have been held as accomplices - what a pitiful system of law enforement there is in Spokane; from the prosecutors on down - disgusting.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • sportsguru wrote...
    I think
    November 19, 2012 8:25 pm

    The 50 officer salute tells it all, now this was a 6 year investigation and it was determined that this was a cover up and the spokane police officers association still saw the need to give this MURDERER a salute?

    I think they have answered who they are on the job for and it is not the community that actually pay there salary to protect them. They don't care about the community they protect, they only care about each other and the system that allows them to commit crimes without any accountability.

    When will you people get it? The police is not hear to protect you, they are here terrorize you if you don't kneel in front of them and lick there boots and oh yeah, pay them for the opportunity to lick there boots.

    The crips, bloods, latino, vietnamese, russian gangs etc... don't have nothing on the gang in blue.

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  • The Liberal Jedi wrote...
    Why is this only coming to light now???
    November 20, 2012 3:12 am
    6 YEARS of investigations and this all? One officer only for a few years? Why wasn't this covered in the state or national level?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • The Liberal Jedi wrote...
    Almost 7 years...
    November 20, 2012 5:06 am
    And this is all I see about this??? Every day we hear about what jusin&selena is doing where, when and how... And this is all? Something very screwed-up in this society!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Realitycheck wrote...
    Perfect example
    November 20, 2012 4:25 am
    Of what I would call a cop who more then crossed the line. And I am actually for harsher penalties for cops because we need to be able to trust them 100%. And yeah, disgusted that other saluted him, even if they feel he did lots of good before this it is not good to make this public display because it sends the wrong message and it also puts into question if these other cops learned anything here.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • jackl101 wrote...
    Remember The Difference
    November 20, 2012 7:31 am
    If you were caught in the same scenario you would likely be serving 10-50 years in a prison, and all the people who were caught lying under oath for you would be tried as accomplices. Why is one group of citizens privileged over another? Do. Not. Call. The. Police.
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