Trending Topics

BWC: Man emerges from home with gun, shoots Okla. officer before OIS

“[This] was the best-case scenario. Unfortunately, yes, [Officer Michael Cook] was struck in the leg, but he got to go home to his family,” Muskogee Police stated

MUSKOGEE, Okla. — Muskogee Police released body camera footage of an officer-involved shooting that resulted in injuries to both an officer and the suspect, KRMG reported.

The Dec. 11 incident began when Sergeant Andrew Branan, Sergeant James Hamlin, and Officer Michael Cook responded to calls about a domestic disturbance. Police believed a man in the home was armed, according to the report.

Upon arriving at the residence, officers knocked on the door and heard yelling inside, video shows. Moments later, an officer looked into a window and spotted a man with a gun. Officers attempted to take cover behind a vehicle.

Despite commands to drop the weapon, the man fired two shots, striking Cook in the leg. Officers returned fire, injuring the suspect, who retreated into the house before eventually surrendering.

Both the suspect and Cook were transported to the hospital, according to the report. The suspect remains hospitalized but is expected to recover, while Cook has been released from the hospital.

Muskogee Police stated that Woods will face charges of domestic assault with a deadly weapon and shooting with intent to kill once he is discharged from the hospital, according to the report.

“Essentially, a domestic call, of course, [is] one of our most dangerous calls and that’s because the emotions are heightened,” Community Resource Officer Taylor Mills told KRMG. “So, you don’t really know what you’re walking into at that period of time.”

The three officers involved remain on administrative leave, a standard procedure following such incidents, according to the report. Mills noted that the department prioritizes officers’ mental wellbeing and allows them the time needed to recover from traumatic events.

“What we experienced was the best-case scenario. Unfortunately, yes, [Cook] was struck in the leg, but he got to go home to his family. Everyone got to go home to their families and that’s their main job every time we go out on the street or take any kind of call; that’s their main job,” said Mills.

Trending
Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Deputy Antonio Aleman, 33, was killed when his patrol vehicle crashed into the back of the truck; he had served with the department since 2021
SB 4-C, which criminalized illegal immigration on the state level, was blocked by a lower court; Florida’s attorney general appealed to the Supreme Court to have the injunction removed
When a Marion County deputy stopped to check on the man, he fired a flare at the deputy’s cruiser and began to act erratically before being taken into custody
Ronald Mortensen, 59, was released from prison after agreeing to a plea deal and being sentenced to time he had already served

Joanna Putman is an Associate Editor and newswriter at Police1, where she has been covering law enforcement topics since August 2023. Based in Orlando, Florida, she holds a journalism degree from the University of Florida and spent two years working in nonprofit local newsrooms, gaining experience in community-focused reporting. Married to a law enforcement officer, she works hard to highlight the challenges and triumphs of those who serve and protect. Have a news tip? Email her at news@lexipol.com