I Was Having Stroke Not Driving Drunk: Woman's Lawsuit Against East Bay Police Force

EAST BAY, CA – A woman arrested by Berkeley police on suspicion of driving under the influence last year says the officers mistook her stroke symptoms for intoxication after a minor traffic collision, delaying her urgent treatment.

The woman filed a lawsuit against Berkeley police in Alameda County Superior Court on Tuesday, alleging that the arrest significantly delayed medical treatment for her stroke and caused her irreparable harm.

According to the complaint, the woman was involved in a minor traffic crash on Acton Street near Delaware Street on Aug. 29, 2015.

When police Officer Christopher Bonaventure arrived, her car was facing south in the northbound lanes of Acton.

The woman was dazed, but there was no smell of alcohol on her breath, according to the complaint. She tried to tell the officer that something was medically wrong with her, but she was having difficulty communicating.

The officers mistook her being weak, uncoordinated and confused as indications that she was intoxicated. But she was too weak to blow into a breathalyzer so they arrested her.

The complaint alleges that during her arrest, the officers joked and laughed at her for being unable to successfully complete sobriety tests. As she was being booked, she was suffering paralysis. She was unable to make a fist with her left hand, the left side of her mouth was not moving while she was speaking and she was limping on the left side, according to the suit.

Finally, someone realized she needed medical attention and called 911. An ambulance took her to the stroke center at Alta Bates Hospital.

The arrest delayed her treatment for two and a half hours, according to the suit, causing her irreversible medical problems as timely care is an important factor in stroke treatment.

The woman is seeking unspecified damages for negligence, failure to summon medical care and false arrest, among other allegations. She is represented by San Francisco attorney Mark Zanobini.

Berkeley city spokesman Matthai Chakko said Wednesday afternoon that the city had not yet been served with the suit and therefore he couldn't comment.

Berkeley police did not immediately respond to a request for more information about the arrest.

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