Affidavit Released In Adsit Accident
DENVER (CBS4) - A search warrant affidavit in the accident that badly injured Denver police officer John Adsit says one of the first responding officers believed the driver of the car that hit Adsit, Christopher Booker, appeared to be having a seizure.
The contents of the affidavit were first reported on Tuesday morning by radio talk show host Dan Caplis.
RELATED: Search Warrant Affidavit
The court document relates to the events of Dec. 3, when a car driven by Booker careened into a group of DPD officers on bikes. The officers were helping safeguard protesters from East High School who were marching on Colfax Avenue. The accident injured several officers, but Adsit's injuries were the most severe. He had his spleen removed and has undergone 11 operations in the last month, according to his family. They say he recently walked with assistance for the first time since the accident.
On Dec. 29, following the incident, DPD requested a search warrant for Booker's medical records. According to the affidavit, Lt. Ted Block helped extricate Booker from his car. Block said his impression was that the driver had suffered a seizure.
"He appeared to be having a seizure and was unresponsive to verbal commands," reported Lt. Block.
A second officer interviewed Booker after he was transported to Denver Health Medical Center and "was of the opinion that he was under the influence of something other than alcohol and was unable to operate a motor vehicle safely." In an interview with CBS4, Booker said he had suffered a seizure prior to the accident and was sorry about what had happened to Adsit.
According to the affidavit, Booker told officers the same thing. "He stated that he takes medication for seizures and that he had a seizure as recently as 11/14/14," reads the affidavit.
Booker initially cooperated with police, agreeing to release his medical records. However, he apparently changed his mind later in December, declining to release more medical information, due to "sensitive information" in his medical files. That refusal prompted police to seek a search warrant for Booker's medical records.
Denver police and prosecutors say their investigation into the accident is ongoing, although no criminal charges have been filed against Booker.
Adsit is continuing his recuperation at a metro area hospital, according to his family.
