The 79-year-old man accused of plowing through a traffic stop and running over a Houston police officer made his first court appearance Thursday.
Robert Zimmerman is charged with intoxication assault of a public servant for allegedly hitting Officer Nestor Garcia.
According to court documents, Zimmerman told officers he drank one 24-ounce beer around 5:00 p.m. Tuesday evening, around the same time he had dinner.
The documents also show Zimmerman claims he takes a heart medication and a sleeping pill but was unable to remember the names. He also told investigators he hadn’t taken the sleeping medication since Monday night, according to the report.
Investigators are waiting for toxicology results to determine whether he was impaired at the time of the crash.
ABC13 spoke exclusively to the man who saw Officer Garcia get hit. He’s the man the officer originally pulled over.
Patrick Riggins says Garcia was walking up to his window when it happened.
“It’s overwhelming. Just to see it and then, it makes you think about life totally different and not to take it for granted, you know? As far as the guy who hit him? No words, you know. From the way he looked, like he was drinking. They always tell us, you shouldn’t drink and drive. That’s not a good thing,” said Riggins.
Officer Garcia is in critical, but stable condition. After surgery, we’re told he opened his eyes and gave the thumbs up. But he still has a long way to go to recover.
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo is urging anyone interested in donating blood to help Officer Garcia to do so using the code 1879CH31.
If you donate blood @commitforlife on behalf of @houstonpolice Officer Nestor Garcia please refer to code 1879CH31. Thanks for your support.
— Chief Art Acevedo (@ArtAcevedo) September 28, 2017
