Farmer Sentenced For Resisting Arrest

Fri., March 6, 1998

From Staff And Wire Reports

A Davenport farmer who resisted a Spokane police officer trying to arrest him last year was sentenced to 15 days in jail Thursday.

Christopher Ostrander was arrested on Jan. 23, 1997, in Airway Heights. Police mistakenly thought he had visited a suspected drug house.

Ostrander was convicted by a District Court jury two weeks ago of resisting arrest, obstructing an officer and failure to turn over information to a policeman.

The maximum sentence for each misdemeanor is a year in jail.

Ostrander has filed a citizen complaint against police Detective Tim Madsen, who was in plain clothes and driving an unmarked car the night of the arrest.

Ostrander claims Madsen used excessive force in dragging him out of his minivan, pushing his face into the ground and kneeing him twice in the shoulder.

Madsen said he thought Ostrander might have had a weapon when they struggled outside the van.

The rare citizen’s complaint is being reviewed by District Court Judge Dan Maggs.

, DataTimes

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