Federal magistrate orders Thompson held
Friday, November 4, 2011
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) -- A federal magistrate has ordered a Spokane police officer convicted of using excessive force in the 2006 death of a mentally ill man to be jailed immediately.
Karl Thompson had been free after his conviction on Wednesday.
Defense attorneys fought the motion, saying they intend to seek a new trial.
But U.S. Magistrate James Hutton decided Friday that Thompson should be jailed immediately. That decision was met with sounds of disapproval in a courtroom packed with police officers.
A jury convicted Thompson of violating the civil rights of 36-year-old Otto Zehm by using excessive force and of lying about it to investigators. Zehm died two days after the 2006 encounter in a convenience store.
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