Police brutality–lack of judgement…

Police brutality took a beating today as a Yakima jury found a Spokane policeman guilty of denying a Spokane mentally and physically disabled person of his civil rights. Thompson was never charged with killing Otto Zehm, but only of denying his civil rights. Read the whole story in the Spokane Spokesman Review, the Yakima Herald and the Los Angeles Times. Defense Attorneys were quoted as saying, “this is not over.” The Spokane paper published a photo of Thompson smirking as he left the Yakima courthouse. Police do not have unquestioned authority. Thompson’s lack of judgement comes into question dramatically due to his role as a public servant. After hitting Zehm a number of times with his baton, other officers “hogtied” Zehm and sat on him. He died a few hours later in a Spokane hospital due to lack of brain blood while he was being held down. Police have come to my aid more than once, but if this is the way Thompson treats a disabled person, then he ought to face a harsh sentence. Civil rights are denied so easily by the powerful and potent.