Man found guilty for assaulting Moses Lake cops in 2017 scuffle

MOSES LAKE — A Moses Lake man who had amphetamine, methamphetamine and THC in his system during an encounter with Moses Lake police in 2017 was found guilty by a jury for assaulting two officers.

A Grant County jury found Moses Lake resident Joseph Zamora guilty on two counts of third-degree assault (law enforcement officer) following a jury trial.

On Feb. 5, 2017 Moses Lake police responded to a report of a suspicious person prowling around vehicles in the 9100 block of Space Street Northeast. A MLPD officer spotted Zamora running in his direction along the south side of Space Street. Before police received the Space Street call, Zamora had reportedly been at his brother’s residence on Grape Drive. The brother reported Zamora had appeared to be under the influence of drugs when he was around him that day.

The officer approached Zamora, but he did not respond to the officer’s questioning and walked the other way. The officer grabbed Zamora’s hands, but he was able to break free from the officer’s grasp. The officer attempted to use a leg sweep to take him down, but the leg sweep failed and Zamora turned to face the officer, at which time the officer noticed Zamora slipping his hand into his left pocket.

Court records indicate the officer shoved Zamora, which caused him to slip and hit his head on the bumper of a nearby pickup truck. The officer was able to get Zamora’s hand out of his pocket, but the suspect used his other hand to pull the cop’s lapel microphone and cord, which ended up stretching across the officer’s neck.

The officer struck Zamora several times in response and during the struggle Zamora grabbed onto the officer’s pistol. Zamora was then pepper sprayed in the eyes, but he later tugged at the cop’s gun again. The officer struck Zamora several times in an attempt to gain control over him, but he refused and kneed the officer several times, In response, the officer drew his gun, put it to Zamora’s head and told him he was “going to kill him.”

“Zamora responded to this by turning his head, opening his mouth, and biting down on the muzzle of the weapon and growling,” wrote an officer.

The gun was pulled out of Zamora’s mouth, but it later ended back up in Zamora’s mouth and he continued growling. Additional MLPD officers arrived and Zamora was secured in handcuffs after he assaulted another cop.

Emergency personnel responded, but Zamora was non-responsive when they arrived and had stopped breathing. His restraints were removed and a pulse was found about 10 minutes later. He was later transported to a Spokane-area hospital and a blood test revealed he had amphetamine, methamphetamine and THC in his system.

In a later interview with police he admitted to using meth and marijuana, but claimed the meth use was two days before his arrest.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at rbyrd@columbiabasinherald.com.