YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) — A Spokane police officer testifying in federal court in Yakima agreed that a videotape of a 2006 encounter with a mentally ill man did not show the man standing after he had been struck with the officer’s baton.
But Officer Karl Thompson also noted that shelves blocked the camera’s view in the Zip Trip convenience store.
Thompson is accused of using excessive force in an encounter with Otto Zehm and later lying about the encounter to investigators. Zehm died two days after the encounter.
Thompson has pleaded not guilty. The case was moved to Yakima from Spokane due to pretrial publicity.
The case is expected to go to the jury next week.
