Spokane, Washington – Louis Lee Zacherle, a 37-year-old resident of Omak, Washington, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for assaulting his intimate partner. The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker. Zacherle's conviction on August 13, 2024, followed a jury trial for Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to a Spouse, Intimate Partner, or Dating Partner in Indian Country. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice also imposed three years of supervised release following the prison term.
The incident occurred on December 7, 2023, at a home on the Colville Indian Reservation. Court documents revealed that an argument between Zacherle and his partner escalated when he retrieved an ax from a shed and began smashing kitchen cabinets. He then struck his partner in the face and kicked her multiple times while she was on the ground.
Medical professionals treated the victim for facial injuries, scalp wounds, two broken ribs, and a condition where air leaked from her lung into her chest wall.
“Domestic violence is one of the root causes underlying the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons crisis impacting Native American Communities,” stated Acting United States Attorney Rich Barker. He highlighted efforts by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Vander Giessen in handling domestic violence cases on Tribal land in Eastern Washington through partnerships with local tribes.
W. Mike Herrington of the FBI’s Seattle field office commented: “What began as a disagreement quickly turned into a brutal assault resulting in serious injury.” He emphasized that domestic violence will not be tolerated and assured rigorous investigation of such crimes.
The case was investigated by both the FBI and Colville Tribal Police Department and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael L. Vander Giessen alongside former Assistant United States Attorney Timothy J. Ohms.