Police ID man they say shot himself

Benton County deputies give their accounts of encounter

ROGERS — Police identified a man who killed himself Jan. 9 after fleeing from a Benton County sheriff’s deputy as 39-year-old David Cook.

Cook’s vehicle crashed shortly after 8:42 a.m. Jan. 9 at North Fourth Street and West Hudson Road, according to a report from the Rogers Police Department.

Landon Wilkins, a deputy with the Benton County sheriff’s office, said he stopped at a convenience store at 200 W. Hudson Road and noticed a vehicle in the parking lot that was running and had cardboard covering all the windows, according to the report.

Wilkins said he completed his business in the store and retrieved his body camera from his patrol vehicle.

Wilkins told Cook he was checking on him and requested his identification, and David Fischer, another deputy, arrived and parked partially behind Cook’s vehicle, according to the report.

Cook took down the cardboard on the driver’s side, according to the report. Wilkins said Cook’s eyes were red and bloodshot.

The report says Cook was putting his right hand between his leg and the console area and reached with his left hand toward his back-left pocket.

Wilkins asked Cook if there was anything in the vehicle he needed to know about and asked Cook to step out of the vehicle because of his demeanor.

Cook handed Wilkins his ID through the window, which was halfway down.

Wilkins said he asked Cook again to step out of the vehicle and opened the driver’s door for Cook, but he pulled it shut, the report states.

Cook put his vehicle in reverse and smashed into Fischer’s patrol vehicle, Fischer and Wilkins said in the report.

Wilkins said he pulled his stun gun and ordered Cook to get out of the car, but Cook put his vehicle in drive and fled the scene.

Fischer said Cook left the store headed west on Hudson Road, according to the report.

Fischer said Cook hit the curb at North Fourth Street and West Hudson Road and ran into a fence.

Fischer said he saw Cook get out of the vehicle and put a gun to his head, according to the report.

Fischer said he was exiting his patrol unit and saw Cook put the gun to his head and pull the trigger.

Fischer said he checked Cook’s vehicle and started to approach him as Wilkins arrived.

Fischer said Cook’s gun was lying on the ground next to his hand and the deputy moved it away from Cook.

Fischer said Cook was placed in handcuffs and officers started administering first aid.

Rogers police obtained video surveillance from Club Car Wash at 300 W. Hudson Road, according to the report.

The video shows Cook crashing his vehicle into the fence and exiting the driver’s seat.

It shows Cook limping toward the rear of his vehicle, putting his right hand toward his head and then falling limp to the ground.