Update: David Cook is currently in Walton County Detention Center charged with aggravated assault.
Update
What could have ended in tragedy in Monroe Wednesday instead ended with a gunman in custody and nobody injured.
According to Walton County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy, the incident began with a welfare check on a man in Morgan’s Landing in Monroe. He was reported to be suicidal. When deputies arrived, David Cook, reported to be about 42 years old, began shooting.
“When we got there he opened fire on us,” Brooks said. “We held our positions until we were able to make contact with him in the garage. At that time he put his hands up and we were able to take him into custody.”
Sheriff Joe Chapman said that the man had reportedly made statements that he was going to commit “suicide by cop” and that he asked officers when they took him into custody why they didn’t shoot him. Officials do not know at this time what set him off, but he had no criminal history and was not known to the WCSO.
“When we arrived, he began to fire a weapon and therefore SERT(swat) was called. He fired 40-50 rounds at various targets including the helicopter,” WCSO reported. “It is only because of the training of WCSO deputies including special operations teams that caused this incident to result in the suspect being taken to the local hospital with NO injury and then to the jail. This could have ended much differently.”
Initial story
Chief Deputy Keith Brooks with the Walton County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the gunman who opened fire on them has been taken into custody.
Brooks said the police activity that had Troy Smith Road in Monroe shutdown and neighbors on lockdown began with a welfare check on a man who was threatening suicide. The incident reportedly took place in Morgan’s Landing subdivision.
“When we got there he opened fire on us,” Brooks said. “We held our positions until we were able to make contact with him in the garage. At that time he put his hands up and we were able to take him into custody.”
Brooks said the subject is a male, possibly about 40 years old.