The case against Spokane Police Officer Karl F. Thompson Jr. should be in the jury's hands by Monday afternoon, which would have been Otto Zehm's 42nd birthday.

Thompson, the first officer to confront Zehm following a mistaken report of a possible theft in 2006, is accused of using excessive force and lying to investigators about the fatal encounter. Zehm died two days later after being beaten with a baton, shocked with Tasers and hogtied.

Closing arguments are scheduled to begin Monday morning.

You can follow real-time highlights of the courtroom drama at Tracking the Trial, the SR's aggregated online Twitter feed.

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