From the Seattle Times:
A federal civil-rights suit against the city of Spokane and nine of its police officers says Otto Zehm died three years ago when officers used batons and Tasers in a display of excessive force on the unarmed, passive, mentally ill man who wanted to buy a soda.
The lawsuit was filed Friday by the Center for Justice after negotiations with city attorneys failed to produce a settlement, a plan for changes in how police deal with mentally ill people or an apology.
The suit says the Police Department and its former acting chief, Jim Nicks, engaged in a conspiracy to portray Zehm as the aggressor after the 36-year-old janitor's encounter in 2006 with Officer Karl Thompson and other officers in a convenience store.
Zehm's death two days later was ruled a homicide by the medical examiner.
Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick and Nicks declined to comment and referred questions to the city attorney. Kirkpatrick said earlier that Thompson had her "unequivocal support" for the way he handled the encounter with Zehm.
Full article here.
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