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News >  Spokane

Condon, Straub lead Spokane delegation to White House to highlight police reforms

Efforts to reform the police department and enhance community involvement have made Spokane a national model, said Mayor David Condon and police Chief Frank Straub, who were at the White House on Thursday as part of a forum on community policing. Condon said Spokane’s voluntary two-year review by the U.S. Department of Justice, the creation of the Criminal Justice Commission and the citizen-led effort at expanding oversight through an empowered ombudsman have put it ahead of other cities struggling with trust and legitimacy in their police departments.
News >  Spokane

Three members of police oversight panel, including Rachel Dolezal, asked to resign

Spokane’s independent police oversight panel is in turmoil. Three of its five members, including former Spokane NAACP president Rachel Dolezal, likely will be removed by the City Council if they don’t immediately resign following an investigation that found multiple instances of misconduct including records tampering, disclosure of sensitive information, demeaning treatment of city employees and attempted overstepping of their authority.
News >  Spokane

Spokane Use of Force Commission wraps up with praise for police progress

In its final meeting before it disbands, the city’s Use of Force Commission lauded the improvements made by the Spokane Police Department in the last two years. But members also questioned why two of its recommendations have not been fully completed: a culture audit of the department and departmentwide use of body cameras. The two recommendations were among the 26 the commission gave to the police department for implementation.
News >  Spokane

U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear ex-police officer’s appeal of Zehm case conviction

Former Spokane police Officer Karl Thompson Jr.’s legal battle to overturn his conviction in the 2006 death of Otto Zehm ended at the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday. The nation’s highest court declined to hear Thompson’s appeal, which argued that the Yakima jury that convicted him of civil rights violations heard evidence that legally should have been withheld. That evidence concerned the crime Thompson suspected Zehm of committing before the fatal encounter.
News >  Spokane

Karl Thompson’s conviction upheld in Otto Zehm death

A federal appeals court panel on Tuesday upheld the conviction of former Spokane police Officer Karl Thompson. The three judges denied claims by Thompson’s attorneys that courtroom errors following the 2006 beating death of Otto Zehm justified sending the case back for a new trial.
News >  Spokane

Appeals court upholds Karl Thompson’s conviction in death of Otto Zehm

A federal appeals court panel has upheld the conviction of former Spokane Police Officer Karl Thompson. The three judges ruled that Thompson doesn’t deserve a new trial in the 2006 beating death of Otto Zehm, and denied claims by his attorneys that courtroom errors should send the case back for a new trial.
News >  Spokane

Karl Thompson appeal argued in court

Attorneys for imprisoned former Spokane police Officer Karl Thompson argued Monday that prosecutors did not turn over important evidence before trial. Defense attorney Carl Oreskovich told the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Seattle that the evidence could have been used to attack conclusions drawn by use-of-force witnesses in the 2006 death of Otto Zehm.
News >  Spokane

City Council approves new Spokane police contract, oversight law

Three more months of public debate, news conferences and negotiations have led to the Spokane City Council’s approval of a new police oversight law and union contract. After unanimously rejecting a proposed Spokane Police Guild contract in November, the council approved a five-year labor contract Monday in a 6-1 vote. It also unanimously approved a law governing police officer oversight.
News >  Spokane

Spokane police course focuses on mental health crisis

A man with a history of mental illness is allegedly breaking into his neighbor’s apartment at all hours of the day, stealing items and causing a headache for the landlord. He faces eviction in 10 days, and police have been called to check on the man’s well-being and persuade him to seek medical help. It’s a situation that could play out anywhere in Spokane. On Wednesday afternoon, the scenario faced members of the city’s police force as part of the department’s pledge to train all officers in crisis intervention by March.
News >  Spokane

Police chief touts progress on Use of Force recommendations

Spokane police Chief Frank Straub said Wednesday that his department has made significant progress on every one of the 26 recommendations issued by the city’s Use of Force Commission in February, including an anticipated purchase contract for body cameras that will be worn by officers at all times. Straub’s lengthy presentation, which came a day shy of marking his first year as the city’s top cop, took place in the City Council chambers before a crowd of community members, city department heads and about 20 police department employees.
News >  Spokane

Timothy Moses pleads guilty to lying in Otto Zehm case

Spokane police Officer Timothy Moses pleaded guilty Tuesday to lying to federal agents in 2009 as they investigated the fatal confrontation between his friend, Officer Karl F. Thompson Jr., and Otto Zehm. The plea was part of a deal with the U.S. Attorney’s Office that allowed Moses to avoid a federal perjury charge but ensured that he never again works in law enforcement.
News >  Spokane

Nicks’ badge reflected honor in Zehm case

As former Spokane police Officer Tim Moses accepts his slap on the hand for the lie known as the Lunge of Otto, it’s worth remembering the local police officer who paid a price in the Zehm case that was far more than he owed: Jim Nicks. Nicks was the acting chief of police on the night of Zehm’s beating, and Moses helped hang a big, bright lie around his neck: Otto had lunged at Officer Karl Thompson, Moses said. Nicks turned around and told that to the public. He was also the one who eventually corrected that publicly, as well, but he bore most of the public – and media – attention for the misstatement and became for many the face of a corrupt response to Zehm’s death.
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