WA Cop Accused of Lying About Beating That Caused a Man's Death

Credit: Reason

A Second police officer from Spokane, Washington has been accused of lying to investigators about the death of Otto Zehm, who died after being beaten by police officers in 2006.

Officer Timothy Moses is accused of lying to FBI agents and federal prosecutors about what Officer Karl Thompson told him about Zehm's beating. Thompson was convicted of lying to investigators and using excessive force against Zehm in 2011.

From the Associated Press:

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) - A second Spokane police officer has been accused of lying about the 2006 beating death of a man who was wrongly suspected of stealing money from a convenience store ATM.

Officer Timothy Moses was charged last week in Spokane Municipal Court with making a false statement. Arraignment is set for May 3.

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Comments

[Mad Scientist]

Nothing to see here. Move the fuck along or else!

[ZackTheHypochondriac]

My grandmother had some friends visit the other day, the guy was a cop and he seemed nice and friendly. I did wonder what he was like on the job though. As in can you tell outside of work which ones are the assholes/psychopaths?

[sloopyinca]

There will never be justice for Otto Zehm.

[LTC(ret) John]

I dunno, they might get a reprimand and a suspension?!

[WomSom]

What? A cop lying? Tell me it aint so lol.

http://www.GotzMyAnon.tk

[LTC(ret) John]

Hmmm, quite on target, anonybot - has your algorithm been updated recently?

[UnCivilServant]

It certainly seems to have an expanded repartoire.

[Nazdrakke]

Did Reason just blow Dunphy's dog whistle?

[sloopyinca]

I guess if a "civilian" had done this in Washington, they would have gotten a $50 gift card to Chili's from the state, since we've been told that the cops there are held to a higher standard than the rest of us.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Local Prosecutors Refuse to Charge Murderer Despite Witnesses

[sloopyinca]

The fucking Feds let him plead guilty to a state misdemeanor and retire a bit early for lying , which likely meant Karl Thompson faced an excessive force trial instead of manslaughter or murder.

This asshole ought to be on trial for felony perjury and Thompson needs to be retried for murder based on the fact that his partner lied deliberately to make it look like the officer was justified in what he did, and about the level of force/location of the blows he used once he decided to beat the man.

This scumbag deserves to hang next to Karl Thompson. And by "hang," I mean by their fucking necks on a gallows.

[Calidissident]

Reposting a link from the thread below this (as it's more appropriate here)

http://www.inquisitr.com/63520.....ong-house/

But don't worry, the officers were put on administrative leave with pay.

[sloopyinca]

Hey, I just sent that in to the H&R editors! I bet it makes it on the main page as well as this story (which I sent in but was only given a hat tip for on the 24/7 story).

I fucking hate what's become of our justice system. It' still better than most, but the double-standard gets worse every time a collective bargaining contract negotiation comes and goes.

[Calidissident]

Apparently, they're blaming bad information from a drug informant. Just another needless casualty in the useless War on Drugs

[sloopyinca]

They blamed a caller when their cops opened up on an unarmed kid in a LA alley last year. He said the kids who robbed him were armed to get a faster police response, and the cops rolled up on a kid who fit the description and opened up on him without even announcing themselves. Apparently the kid had on headphones and was turning around and "reached for his waistband" but was going for his cellphone.

The cops were given paid vacations and the caller had the charges against him dropped. The victim was never identified as the robber.

[ZackTheHypochondriac]

is he ok? You left out what happened to the kid.

[Loki]

This is LA, so the cops probably missed the kid. Or out of the hundred or so rounds fired they only hit him twice. /sarc

[sloopyinca]

The young man (he's 19, so I was wrong in calling him a kid) is dead.

http://www.topinfo24.com/pasad.....is-killed/

The manslaughter charges the cops made against the caller will not be filed by the DA.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....99623.html

[ZackTheHypochondriac]

I don't think would be able to get away with the collective bargaining without the extreme hero worship of cops and soldiers in our culture. In the eyes of the public they can do no wrong, and that has to change first.

[l0b0t]

The justice system is broken but so is Hit & Run. For the love of science, stop copying those damn Reason 24/7 stories over into H&R. If I wanted to read Reason 24/7, I would visit that page. This content padding is annoying.

[UnCivilServant]

24/7 stories don't get as many comments. I get my Reason.com entertainment from the commentaries. Please don't deprive me of that. I'd be sad.