*A deputy in Florida resigned on Wednesday after he learned that surveillance footage had caught him burglarizing the home of an old man on the day he died.
Come to find out, the cop, later revealed as an addict, stole the man’s prescription meds.
Lawd!
The police had been alerted to the home of the old man by his son after a power outage, brought on by Hurricane Irma, hit.
According to Good Morning America, on Sept. 12, around 9:22 a.m. — two days after Irma made landfall — officers with the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office were called to the home of 85-year-old Moe Rosoff, who chose to stay in his home during the fierce storm.
After the storm subsided Jay Rosoff told the Florida police dept the cameras at his dads home did not detect any movement, and he requested a welfare check. Upon arrival the officers found the elder lying on the floor and had him taken to the hospital where he died a few days later.
Deputy Jason Cooke, who was not called to the scene at any time, decided to go to the home where he “allegedly” entered using a code he later admitted was lifted off the Dispatch Log.
GMA cites the police report revealed that the surveillance system sent an alert to Jay Rosoff and his brother Steven Rosoff around 10:55 a.m. showing movement had been detected in the house.
“They viewed the footage and saw a deputy enter the residence through the garage,” the police report said.
The sons reported the incident to police. According to the report, the video showed an officer, who authorities eventually identified as Deputy Cooke, going through cabinets, emptying containers and placing items in his pockets.
Police also said Cooke had not been told to report to the Rosoff home.
They showed Cooke the video, which is when he admitted he had gotten the garage code off of the Dispatch Log.
UPDATE: The recently released video footage is below (Scroll down).
The meds we see Cooke picking up and pocketing from the kitchen counter is Tramadol, “a schedule four controlled substance and used as a pain reliever.”
He admitted to this.
When police searched Cooke’s patrol vehicle, they said they uncovered 60 pills that included narcotic painkillers and antipsychotic medicine.
Before his resignation, Cooke had been suspended with pay. He was arrested Thursday and released on $28,000 bond Friday. He faces several charges including burglary while armed during a state of emergency and unlawful possession of prescription drugs. He has not yet been formally arraigned.
What I wouldn’t have given to be in the room when they showed him the video.
But alas, we will have to suffice with a photo of him in court below.
When the family learned what this cop had done, needless it to say they were undone!
“Had we not had this video, this cop would still be out there posing a threat of danger to the community he swore to protect and committing more crimes. It is our hope that the justice system treats this cop like any other criminal out there and that he doesn’t receive further preferential treatment because he is a police officer,” the family said.
Stuart Kaplan, Cooke’s lawyer, told ABC News that the officer was remorseful and had shown “tremendous contrition.” Read what he said about his client’s “addiction” here.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Deputy Jason Cooke officially left the department on Wednesday, according to a statement.
Don’t you think its unfair that he got to “resign” when he found out he’d been caught, as opposed to being fired?
