You too may have heard the suspicions: that contrary to what Denver officials maintain, the man whose vehicle struck four police officers on bicycles two weeks ago, critically injuring one, actually meant to do it and the truth is being suppressed.
One sign of the alleged coverup, according to this theory, is the speed with which the police attributed the incident to a medical condition involving the driver.
These rumors have surfaced on talk radio and in social media, and on Monday both a police spokesman and Mayor Michael Hancock addressed them directly on a radio show. They were wise to do so — not because the speculation is credible but because it is easily put to rest.
To begin with, as police spokesman Matt Murray pointed out on 850 KOA’s “Mike Rosen Show,” the investigation into the tragedy, which occurred when officers were escorting East High students protesting the Ferguson grand jury decision, is still ongoing. “We had over 100 witnesses and that takes time,” Murray said.
“If we uncover evidence that this was a criminal act or was intentional, we will absolutely let people know immediately,” he said.
It’s true that police fairly quickly attributed the injuries to an accident. The reason, Murray explained, is because they had early indications from medical staff — “with some detail I can’t go into because it’s an active case” — that the motorist, Chris Booker, had a medical condition. “We wanted to get that information out” given tension surrounding Ferguson-related protests, he said, so people didn’t simply assume it was an attack on police.
Murray also promised medical records will be part of the probe.
Did Booker cheer the protesters shortly before he accelerated and struck police?
“We’ve heard that,” Murray said. “I don’t know if we have any active statements to that effect, but we might. Certainly that would be relevant and something we would want to explore. … But I will tell you that to this point we have no indication that this was an intentional act.”
With scores of police and medical personnel involved in the tragedy, a coverup seems almost inconceivable, let alone in anyone’s interest. For that matter, police and the district attorney would have to be out of their minds to allow someone who targets officers of the law — one of whom remains in terrible shape — to go unpunished.
And we’re confident they won’t.
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