Spokane Community Gathers to Honor Otto Zehm’s Legacy Two Decades After Fatal Police Encounter at Convenience Store

Spokane community members gather at Mission Park to honor Otto Zehm 20 years after his fatal police encounter, sparking decades of reform.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 21, 2026, 7:00 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Spokesman-Review

A Legacy of Reform Rooted in Tragedy

Twenty years after the death of Otto Zehm, the Spokane community continues to grapple with the profound legal and social changes sparked by his fatal encounter with law enforcement. On March 20, 2026, friends, family, and activists gathered at Mission Park to reflect on the life of the 36-year-old janitor who was erroneously accused of theft at a north Spokane Zip Trip. Zehm, who was developmentally disabled, died two days after being beaten, shocked with a stun gun, and hogtied by officers. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide caused by oxygen deprivation, a finding that eventually led to federal criminal charges against the responding officer.

Humanizing a Catalyst for Social Change

The vigil served as a platform to remember Zehm not just as a victim, but as a person known for his gentle spirit and quiet nature. Attendees shared personal stories, including Dave Turner, a childhood friend who noted that Zehm’s death occurred on his birthday. Organizers from the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability and Spokane Community Against Racism emphasized that Zehm’s last known words were, "All I wanted was a Snickers bar," referring to the candy he had gone to purchase. To honor this memory, Snickers bars were distributed to those in attendance, serving as a somber reminder of the mundane errand that turned fatal.

Federal Conviction and the Pursuit of Accountability

The legal aftermath of Zehm’s death remains one of the most significant chapters in Spokane’s judicial history. Officer Karl F. Thompson Jr. was eventually convicted by a jury for needlessly beating Zehm and subsequently lying to investigators to cover up his actions. Thompson was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison, marking a rare instance of a law enforcement officer facing incarceration for an on-duty use of force. Attorneys Jeffry Finer and Breean Beggs, who represented the family, noted that the case began with a simple handwritten note from Zehm’s mother expressing her disbelief in the official police narrative.