Shots from the scene of the incident in Oct. 2021.
Kennewick, WA
A Kennewick male stated he does not recall chasing police vehicles or hoping to run an officer about, but he was willing to encounter punishment for the crimes.
Richard E. Cook, 33, pleaded guilty to two counts of second-diploma assault and just one depend each and every of attempted second-diploma assault, attempting to elude police, hit-and operate and destructive mischief.
Decide Norma Rodriguez agreed to a joint suggestion from the prosecutor’s office environment and Cook’s protection legal professional, and sentenced Prepare dinner to the most conclusion of the variety — 3 decades and seven months in prison.
He’ll also be necessary to fork out at minimum $26,000 in restitution to the town of Kennewick for a string of wrecked vehicles he still left driving.
His attorney, Shelley Ajax, stated Cook is typically a caring and loving gentleman, and that evening was out of character for the latest transplant from Idaho.
She claimed he does not have any memory of the situations that led up to him currently being shot by Officer Dylan Markley, but is eager to acquire duty for the crimes.
According to blood samples taken soon just after his rampage, Cook had a mixture of amphetamine, methamphetamine, norfentanyl and the sedative hydroxymidazolam in his program.
Although Cook may possibly not try to remember the occasions of Oct. 15 and 16, Deputy Prosecutor Julie Long stated they have had left a long lasting impression on the officers. Cook allegedly chased down and crashed into law enforcement cars, forcing officers to shut off their emergency lights.
“They were terrified,” she informed Rodriguez throughout Cook’s sentencing on Wednesday. “They were scared that they had been heading to be killed.”
Cook was arrested right after the Tri-City Regional SWAT team pulled him out of the white Jeep he was driving on 10th Avenue. The Jeep experienced 18 bullet holes, according to a Washington Point out Patrol Crime Lab report.
Subsequent the shooting, the Tri-City Regional Exclusive Investigations Device was brought in to examine no matter if the capturing was authorized.
The device is known as in to examine officer-associated shootings in Benton, Franklin and Walla Walla counties. They done their investigation in February 2022. The report was forwarded to Prosecutor Andy Miller.
Miller wasn’t available to say what the status of his assessment is.
The Tri-Metropolis Herald obtained a duplicate of the finished report via a public records ask for.
Hit and Operate
Whilst Cook dinner had used the very last two or 3 decades in and out of Latah County Jail in Idaho, he had stayed out of difficulties with local police immediately after moving to the Tri-Towns in August 2021.
His actions begun to change in the months in advance of the Cook’s rampage, together with showing up to use fentanyl, in accordance to a summary of the unit’s investigation by Pasco Capt. Jeff Harpster.
Then on Oct. 15, 2021, the Kennewick Law enforcement Division commenced to get stories associated to a white Jeep, which belonged to Cook’s grandmother. He was allowed to use it to go to do the job.
The initially reviews began at 2:30 p.m. when persons named about it swerving and cutting people today off.
Then at 8:30 p.m., a lady known as to report that a white Jeep adopted her from the space of Costco. He continued to trail her by quite a few parking heaps right up until she confronted him in the parking large amount for Ross Gown for Significantly less.
Then just prior to midnight, officers noticed the white Jeep right after they responded to a hit-and-run collision in the place of East Columbia Generate and North Washington Avenue. The Jeep was hoping to depart. Two officers tried out to cease it, but it eluded them.
Cook’s rampage started out right after law enforcement acquired a further report just immediately after 4 a.m. on Oct. 16 of an intoxicated driver swerving across the road as it headed west on 10th Avenue near Edison Avenue.
A police officer noticed the Jeep as it pulled into the driveway of Legacy Large Faculty and stopped. The officer drove past it and verified it was the similar Jeep they had been searching for.
As he did that, Cook dinner allegedly slammed the vehicle into reverse and aimed at the officer’s auto. Only quick action prevented him from colliding with the Jeep.
Targeting officers
The officer pulled into the parking lot of the Grace Baptist Church and parked. He saw the Jeep pull into the parking great deal and it slammed into the again of his patrol car or truck.
The officer turned on his overhead lights, and the Jeep hit the automobile yet again.
The drive of the influence was enough to move it about 2 feet, according to court files.
This began a collection of events wherever Cook dinner chased Kennewick law enforcement cars, and attempted to hit them with his motor vehicle, in accordance to Harpster’s report.
At that position, an officer alerted all responding cars to flip off their emergency lights “as it appeared (Cook) was concentrating on them with his car,” courtroom paperwork said.
Markley was parked in the Grace Baptist Church parking lot subsequent to a different officer immediately after that officer noted his car was rammed. The officer was working on deploying spike strikes.
Markley got out of his patrol automobile carrying his rifle and saw the white Jeep heading east on 10th Avenue. It swerved, jumped the control and drove involving a tree and a fence.
Prepare dinner steered straight at him and the officer fired his rifle at the driver. He bought out of the way of the Jeep prior to it hit his patrol car.
Cook then backed up, strike a tree and then aimed the Jeep at Markley once more. The officer fired a next time.
The Jeep then veered away.
He eventually stopped his Jeep on 10th Avenue and stayed inside of, disregarding commands from law enforcement. He was arrested by Tri-Metropolis Regional SWAT staff at 5:50 a.m..