Don’t blame the victim

I can’t stand this. I am compelled to respond to Mary Lou Prentiss (“he should never have been out”), Rosemarie Burns (“where was his family?”) and C.L. Franks (“railroaded for … protecting the public.”).

What? Otto Zehm was impaired, but there is no evidence that he was aggressive. He had every right to be on the street, just like you and me. Why are you putting the blame on others? The police have the tough job of controlling illegal activity, but why was it necessary for Officer Karl Thompson Jr. to repeatedly beat Zehm in the head and Taser him?

Zehm was part of “the public” and deserved the protection of the police. Testimony (not the “Spokane media”) seems to show that Thompson was out of control, and – worse – he lied about it.

Yes, it is a tragedy. A young man’s life was needlessly ended, and a policeman has lost the privilege of being one of those who are sworn to protect us all, and will likely spend years in prison for his actions.

Doug Kaer

Spokane