FAIRFAX, Va. — A former Fairfax County police officer facing a murder charge was taken to the hospital Wednesday after he passed out in court as a judge denied him bail.
Adam Torres, 32, of Culpeper, is charged with the murder John Geer, who was shot and killed in the door to his Springfield home in August 2013.
Torres, whose defense team argued that he be allowed to remain out of jail ahead of his trial, collapsed to the ground, his eyes rolling back. A deputy sheriff’s officer ran to him and told him to “just stay down, bud.”
The courtroom was cleared as a medic treated Torres.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Morrogh says that Torres was taken to the hospital.
His defense attorney tells WTOP that Torres was alert and awake.
The hearing resumed without Torres about 25 minutes after he passed out.
Torres defense team had argued that Torres should be allowed to remain free because he had turned himself immediately after he was indicted and because he has ties to the community, isn’t a flight risk. His attorneys also argued that he no longer carries a gun.
The judge acknowledged Torres’ connection to the community, but decided that because Torres is now unemployed and had a “deteriorating mental” state at the time of the shooting that he should remain in jail.
Prosecutors said that Torres had been fighting with his wife and missing work around the time of the shooting.
Torres shot Geer, a 46-year-old father, in the chest after responding to a domestic dispute at Geer’s home. An autopsy determined that Geer bled to death.
A special grand jury indicted Torres Monday, and Torres turned himself in that evening.
The Fairfax County Police Department terminated Torres on July 31 for violating “policies and procedures on the use of force.”
His trial date is set for Dec 14.
WTOP’s Max Smith contributed to this report from Fairfax, Virginia.
