Court document: KCK fire captain used vehicle to hit person saving spot at hospital parking garage

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City, Kansas, fire captain used his vehicle to hit a man saving a parking spot at the University of Kansas Medical Center, according to a court document.

Thad Lauritzen was recently charged with felony aggravated battery and misdemeanor battery in the incident.

KU Medical Center police were dispatched around 12:30 p.m. on June 24 to the Cambridge Tower lobby on a battery that occurred in the parking garage at 3724 Cambridge St.

The probable cause in the incident states the victim and his fiancé were standing in a parking spot to hold it for the victim’s mother. They were waiting to assist her inside, as the victim’s father was expected to pass soon.

While waiting, they saw a pickup truck round the corner and drive toward them. The driver allegedly shook his head but did not roll down the window or communicate that he wanted the pair to move.

The fiancé said the truck hit the victim, pushing him backward and into a parked vehicle, per a court document. The victim also lost his shoe under the truck.

The probable cause then alleges Lauritzen exited the truck and pushed the victim into another vehicle. Lauritzen ultimately got back into his truck and pulled out of the spot, freeing the shoe.

Detectives spoke with a nurse who witnessed the incident. She said the truck hit the victim “pretty hard, hard enough to push him back a couple feet,” the court document stated.

When detectives made contact with Lauritzen, he said the parking lot was full, so it was agitating to see two people blocking a stall to save the spot. He claimed the victim threw a cup at his truck. And when he exited the truck, he said, “They said some stuff and I said some stuff.”

Lauritzen also claimed the victim attempted to punch him and that he left the spot because he worried the pair would tamper with his truck.

When explicitly asked if he hit the victim with his vehicle, Lauritzen said, “He hit my vehicle…”

Video surveillance captured the incident. However, the quality of the footage did not provide a clear picture of whether the truck made contact with the victim.

Lauritzen was booked and released from the Wyandotte County Detention Center. His bond was set at $35,000, and the conditions of his release included no contact with victims or witnesses.

He made his first court appearance Aug. 7. Lauritzen's next hearing is set for Tuesday, Aug. 18.

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