Area residents respond to Olsen verdict

Chief heads fearsome force

Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick’s reaction to the not-guilty verdict in favor of a drunk, off-duty officer who shot a citizen is to “stand tall and out front to protect my members from undue criticism and attack. This is one of those times.”

Is she serious? What about the apparent perjury of a key defense witness and the disappearance of the 911 tape of Mr. Pete’s desperate phone call after being shot in the head?

Chief Kirkpatrick also recently “stood tall” in applauding the homicidal, pack violence that led to the death of an innocent janitor named Otto Zehm, who only wanted to buy a Snickers and ended up dead. Mayor Verner nodded her head in agreement. Where is the leadership of this city when it comes to obvious police misconduct?

Most of us aren’t Native Americans or disabled janitors, but this city faces a crisis of confidence in its law enforcement. A growing number of citizens are afraid of their own police force, and the police chief is out of touch with that disturbing reality. It’s time for her to go and for the federal government to convene a grand jury to fully investigate these matters.

Tom Keefe

Spokane

Clark should go further

Regarding Doug Clark’s column Thursday, he’s right but he doesn’t follow to the logical conclusions. Was Larry Steinmetz chosen by the prosecutor’s office to handle this case precisely because “he’s easy mannered and soft spoken”?

The outcome of a trial is affected not only by the evidence and testimony but by the selection of the jury by the attorneys, the way the evidence is presented by them and the actions of the presiding judge in his rulings and his jury instructions. The city doesn’t care about Olsen, but it was in its best financial interest if he was acquitted.

This is not about race. If I had done what Olsen did to Shonto Pete, I’d be in Walla Walla by now. What should happen at this point is that Steinmetz should be investigated by the Washington Bar Association for failing to mount an adequate prosecution (fat chance) and the U.S. Justice Department should be investigating the entire trial to see if Shonto Pete was deprived of his civil rights. If this doesn’t happen, it’s just more proof that Spokane’s ingrown legal establishment cares more about getting along than about justice.

Joe Polowski

Deer Park

Double standard should go

How can a policeman do the things Jay Olsen did and get away with it? If I myself shot somebody in the face I’d be in jail and I’d go to prison, but I’m not a cop. It doesn’t make much sense to me. Police like that we don’t need.

I don’t care what his sexual desire is. That doesn’t have anything to do with me. But he’s got a gun in a bar, which is against the law. He’s drunk and he shot his firearm off at a man that was innocent and he got away with it. In my mind, straight or not, that’s selfishness on the part of the law. Why can’t he be treated like the rest of us?

Edward Bucknell

Spokane

Verdict insults intelligence

Many citizens of the city of Spokane suffered a tragic loss last week. Whatever faith we may have had in the judicial system died after we read “Olsen cleared in shooting” (March 14). To those with IQs higher than that of a box of hammers, this is a stinging slap in the face.

How is it that a drunken, armed, off-duty police officer bent on causing bodily harm or killing an unarmed fleeing man was found not guilty on all charges?

Then I remember where we are. The pumping of the arms in victory by fellow officers and hand-shaking by SWAT team members brings me back to reality and I see the “good ol’ boy” camaraderie of the judicial system and the Spokane Police Department.

This whole thing stunk from the beginning. And since Olsen decided to play his “gay card” to draw sympathy, I will counter with a “race card”: Spokane has been a city of racism since the first settlers moved in.

We have to raise our children and grandchildren here. What do we tell them?

Oh, and lastly, this was all done on your dime, Washington taxpayers.

R. M. Gendron

Spokane

Jurors need training

What a travesty of justice! An off-duty policeman, Jay Olsen, possibly drunk at the time, chases Shonto Pete, whom Olsen alleges had stolen his truck. Olsen shoots Pete in the back of the head, goes on trial and the jury finds Olsen not guilty on the shaky reasoning that it may have been in self-defense. Can someone explain to me how someone can make an aggressive move toward someone by running away from them?

It seems the jury must have assumed Olsen was performing his duty. After all he is/was a police officer, so he would not make a mistake, would he? Maybe everyone selected for jury duty should attend mandatory training to understand the difference between real evidence and circumstantial evidence.

In my experience as a military policeman, we were taught never to fire a weapon at someone running away. We could only fire our weapon if our life or the life of someone was in danger. I guess it never occurred to Olsen to just report the theft of his truck, which was not stolen after all. Olsen has given all honorable policemen a bad reputation.

Willie McKenzie

Spokane

Justice for all on the run

The Jay Olsen verdict is an outrage. As a citizen who values decency and justice for all, I do not want my money to pay for Jay Olsen’s legal fees. Shonto Pete and his family have every right to be angry with this unfair outcome. The whole situation smells foul.

Our streets are not safe in this community as long as justice for all is on the run.

Vicky L. Cavin

Mead

Police the real turnoff

Oh, come now, Mr. Simpson (Letters, March 13), do you really believe that people who are contemplating moving to or starting a new business in Spokane will consult Doug Clark’s column before they make their final decision? It is considerably more likely that potential newcomers will be influenced by the events involving innocent citizens and belligerent police. I for one feel a lot safer residing on the Idaho side of the border, since it appears that Spokane employs loose cannons who are not held accountable for their actions.

Robin Moseley

Coeur d’Alene

Respect, thank Olsen jurors

Twelve jurors and one or more alternate jurors gave up their jobs, vacation time or their valuable time to sit through the entire Jay Olsen trial. Undoubtedly these jurors took notes, listened to the judge’s instructions and followed the instructions given to them by the judge. The prosecution called witnesses that they chose to testify and the defense did the same. The jury deliberated and went over all of the evidence and came to a decision of not guilty.

I have the utmost respect for people who serve on juries. They sit in a jury box long hours to listen to all of the evidence before making a decision. It is not easy to give up one’s life for whatever time it is going to take for a trial and the delays that invariably occur. These jurors’ lives are on hold until the trial and deliberation is over. I, for one, respect these jurors and want to thank each and every one for their service as a juror. The public should do likewise.

Mary M. Wissink

Spokane

Police deserve more credit

I can’t convey the sadness I feel for the serving members of the Spokane Police Department, upon reading Doug Clark’s column in Tuesday’s S-R. I refer to the comments he detailed from a conversation with a person who would not even like his last name used in the article.

In my humble opinion, I believe him to be wrong in his attempt at humor against the entire SPD. I have taken the time to see for myself what kind of a police department Spokane has by going on a ride-along with one of their officers. I came away amazed at the professionalism of the officers I saw in service to this community. You can’t imagine what they face on a shift of duty serving Spokane. Today, they must face an even growing hostile environment further fueled by Doug Clark’s poison-pen journalism.

Derek Policani

Cheney

Racism was on display

I am appalled! How can a judge and jury end up so biased? The judge and jury are an embarrassment to me and other fellow Spokane residents who believe in fairness, justice, and acceptance of others, regardless of race. The whole trial reeks of discrimination based on race.

Finding Jay Olsen not guilty on all counts is an abomination. Mr. Olsen acted dangerously by firing several gunshots, at night, in a Spokane neighborhood. He inflicted at least one gunshot wound to another human being (Shonto Pete) that easily could have been deadly. He stated it was self-defense (At what time did Shonto Pete show a weapon? A knife was found later on his person) and appeared interested only in saving himself from shame by not calling for help from police.

This trial has absolutely nothing to do with sexual orientation, as Mr. Olsen’s lawyer inserted at the end of the trial. No, this trial has everything to do with racial bias. Racial bias and discrimination hurts everyone. As a society, when are we going to “get” that message?

Joy E. Newcomer

Spokane

These are ‘real cops’

I would like to offer some praise for our Kettle Falls, Wash., police officers, past and present. I had the privilege of responding to a police and ambulance call for a male mental health person who was acting out. Upon my arrival as first responder, the male was really agitated, pacing, making threatening gestures toward our police officer, who was alone – no backup. This male mental health acting-out person was spitting, cursing, calling our officer every name in the book. Our solo officer not only had to watch out for this acting-out person, he also had to watch out for my safety as well.

But guess what? The officer never even raised his voice, never made any threatening movements toward the acting-out person, but allowed him to keep venting his anger and thus defused the situation. The acting-out person wasn’t hit with the nightstick, cuffed or hogtied. We didn’t have Tasers then. The acting-out person was able to be transported to our local hospital for further evaluation without incident. The officer’s first name is Charlie. Thank you, Charlie, for showing me how “real cops” do their job.

Judy Davis

Kettle Falls, Wash.

Justice, judicial system at odds

How appropriate. The same day I opened the paper to see the headline “Olsen cleared in shooting,” there’s a lawsuit filed in the Otto Zehm case.

In all fairness to Shonto Pete’s sister, it wouldn’t have mattered if he was Native American or not; justice would not have been served. That’s just the way our police department and judicial system interact.

It makes me sick to my stomach to think that Olsen will receive back pay and we, the taxpayers, will have to pay for his lawyer. I feel for Zehm’s family because the way our system operates there will be no justice for Otto either.

Scott Swannack

Otis Orchards