Frenzy and Cover Up: The Death of Otto Zehm

In 2006 a Spokane policeman brutally assaulted an innocent man suspected of committing a petty crime. After a horrific struggle the man suffered cardiac arrest at the scene while in police custody and died three days later. The Police Department tried to sweep the matter under the rug, and the City blamed the victim for his death. It took seven years for a non-profit law firm, the federal government, and an innovative politician to set the matter straight and the Police Department and City Attorney’s Office on the proper course.