Trial begins for cop in death of mentally disabled man

[pokerfan]

The surveillance video shows a Spokane police officer rushing up to Otto Zehm in a convenience store and knocking him to the ground. Officer Karl F. Thompson then struck the mentally disabled janitor 13 times with a baton, according to court documents.

Other officers jumped into the fight. They hogtied Zehm, placed a plastic mask over his face and, according to court records, put their weight on him until he stopped breathing.

Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Trial-begins-for-cop-in-death-of-Spokane-man-2210051.php#ixzz1aOei5mfX

Otto Zehm (1970–2006)

Otto Zehm (1970–2006) was a mentally disabled man from Spokane, Washington who died on March 20, 2006, two days after being beaten, tasered multiple times, and improperly restrained by seven Spokane Police Officers. Zehm committed no crime and on May 30, 2006, the Spokane County coroner ruled the death a homicide. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been investigating the death for two years without conclusion.

Wikipedia

[Odin2005]

1. Fucking PIGS!

:grr:

[sharp_stick]

2. Fuck me

I'm offering 3:1 that the cops get less time, if any, than a local crack user would.

Any takers?

[pokerfan]

3. I'm hoping you're wrong

(but you're probably right.)

[tblue37]

4. Why the hell did they do this?

A plastic mask that was not connected to an oxygen bottle was placed over his nose and mouth.

[pokerfan]

5. I assume they will present some kind of defense at their trial

which has been moved to another city in the state. At least we have video. So many of these brutality cases happen where there are no cameras, the only ones that get prosecuted are the ones where there are cameras...

[tblue37]

6. I was referring to the fact that they put a plastic mask over his nose

and mouth. What was their reason for doing that? It just made it more likely he would have trouble breathing.

[pokerfan]

7. I don't know

which is why I said that I expect that we will hear their "reasoning" as part of their defense at trial. I can't for the life of me believe that this is standard procedure.

[tblue37]

8. Ah--I thought you were telling me that they would find a way to

defend their attack on him in general, rather than that specific part of it.