In response to the Seattle Times’ public disclosure request, the Seattle Police Department released body camera footage from Colorado Avalanche team physician Bradley Changstrom telling Officer Joshua Knight that the team tried to remove a woman from striker Valerie Nechushkin’s hotel room, but could not. t because she was drunk.
The incident occurred on April 22 at the Four Seasons Hotel prior to Game 3 of the first round between the Avalanche and Seattle Kraken. Nichushkin did not play for the remainder of the playoffs due to what he considered the Avalanche’s “personal reasons”. He has not commented publicly since then.
Changstrom told Knight that Avalanche officials attempted to put Nichushkin and the woman in separate rooms before Nichushkin left with Avalanche Security Director John Burbach.
“We were trying to get her out of the room,” Changstrom told Knight. “And she was obviously drunk. It’s very clear that I can’t send him in an Uber for his safety.”
The audio has been partially redacted in the video obtained by The Times.
It was previously reported on May 4 by Jeff Baker of the Seattle Times that Changstrom placed a 911 call seeking help for the woman in Nichushkin’s hotel room. Changstrom did not identify himself for the call, but police records indicate that he was the caller.
Changstrom told officers he could not explain the 12 hours before answering the woman in Nichoshkin’s hotel room.
In the newly released video, Changstrom said the woman punched him in the arm when asked about reports of people hitting, but she didn’t want to press charges. Changstrom also said he and Avalanche security member Todd Fuller tried to cross-dress the woman in the hotel room, then punched her in the arm, while she added that she could not find his credit card.
In the second part of the video, Constable Knight speaks with fellow police officer Ryan Beecroft outside the hotel, recounting the incident. The woman, who claimed to be from Russia, said her passport had been stolen. Changstrom had previously told officers that the woman was anxious to keep her ID.
“She got the name but she says she’s from Russia, she came here for the school but she couldn’t say the school was who she claimed to be. She kept saying that whoever she was with was a bad guy and took her passport away,” said the rider.
Changstrom then spoke to the officers and the audio was reviewed when he raised an issue regarding Nechushkin’s medical health.
There is no criminal investigation after this incident.
